A Different Side
by DragonGolem
Summary: Ranma 12, Kingdom Hearts crossover. Please R&R This is my first fanfic so all constructive criticism welcome. Ryoga finds himself lost again and it leads to all sorts of trouble. Warning AU and a few characters OOC As a precaution I'm upgrading to PG. Th
1. A Different Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Any resemblance between real people and actual events is purely ludicrous and you should see your physician.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Prologue

"Where am I now?" was the cry heard in the darkness. The bandanna-wearing boy just grumbled as he realized he was lost again. The floor was beautiful, it looked like stained glass, almost fragile looking. "Well…this is strange…certainly isn't my island…" he said, trying to find any sign of familiarity. The atmosphere felt peaceful, serene, which only served to make him feel even more on edge. "Hmph. This isn't the first time I've gotten lost, but I'm usually somewhere near my house… Crap." Hanging his head, he continued his dejected shuffle.

"You appear to be lost."

"Who's there?" whipping his head around to try and find the speaker. "Come out and show yourself!"

"I'm sorry, I can't do that. We have more important things to worry about."

"Whatever it is, you can count me out. I just wanna go home." With that he proceeded to walk off in precisely the wrong direction to leave, but the right direction for the voice.

"Kids are such a handful…" the voice laments quietly.

Sometime later…

"Hey I recognize this… Unfortunately it's the same stained glass floor I passed twenty minutes ago…" The Eternal Lost Boy continued to plod along.

"Are you ready to listen yet?" for a disembodied voice it was starting to get testy. He hates having to repeat himself, but this particular subject is very uncooperative.

"…Fine." He flopped down on the ground, looking for all the world as if he wanted to sit there anyway. Truth is, he was getting tired.

"About time…" the voice muttered but before the boy could respond it launched into its sales pitch. "The time when the door opens is both very far off and very near. You must be ready for you are the only one who can do it. You are the only one who can save all the wo… Pay attention dammit!!!" the voice finally erupted at the source of its ire. The boy was lying on the ground, hands behind his head, one leg folded over the other and tapping his foot. With a blink, he sits up. Ryoga Hibiki, the king of cool, riiiiight. "As I was saying…" if voices could glare Ryoga would've been speared through. "You are the only one who can save all the worlds."

"That's it."

"Yes, that's it. Also, I need to know something about you."

"…This oughta be good…" shaking his head, he lay back down. "Fine oh High and Mighty Voice…whaddya wanna know?"

"What are your goals?"

"Hmph…that's an easy one. To be better then my friend Ranma, to get the girl I like to notice me, and to see rare sights…" by the end of that sentence he had assumed a thoughtful expression.

"With your sense of direction you already see rare sights…" the voice laughed softly. "You just might be what I need. I like you kid, so I'm gonna give you a gift. Pick from these pedestals." As he finishes speaking, three pedestals rise up from the floor, each bearing a different item. On one is a shield, on another is a rod, and on the last is something that caught his attention immediately, a sword.

"Well, since I do want at least a souvenir from this experience, I'll take this." So saying, he sweeps the sword up with a grin.

"Ah the power of the warrior, a sword of great power and terrible ruin. This is what you seek?" at the boy's enthusiastic nod he continued. "What do you give up in return?" the confused Ryoga looked at the remaining pedestals and, without hesitation, pointed at the staff. "You give up the power of the mystic, a rod of wisdom and great destruction… Is this the form you seek?"

Suddenly he felt seized up by some strange force, his next words would determine everything. The sickening realization almost made him refuse immediately, but he felt something greater win out, something that would forever change him. "Yes. This is what I want." Almost as soon as he spoke those words did his world slam down around him and drag him into darkness. He had no idea how long he'd been out for, but one thing was certain, at least he wouldn't wandering around the same stained glass floor, this one seemed to be different. "Belle…from Sleeping Beauty?" suffice it to say, he doesn't know his Disney movies. As he tried puzzling out this new problem, the voice decided to speak again.

"Just remember…the closer you get to the light, the greater the darkness will grow…"

"Whaddya mean by THAT?" he cried out before turning quickly, just in time to catch a look at his shadow as it expanded into a terrifying creature of pure darkness. "…Another thing I can't blame on Ranma…twice in one day." He sighed mournfully as he readied his sword. After all his fights with Ranma he realized something immediately, damn this guy was slow.

The disembodied voice was quietly worrying to itself about how the youngster would deal with his own shadow when he saw something completely unexpected.

"Tch… weak. Slow too. Weak and slow." Ryoga felt something bubbling up inside of himself that he wasn't used to feeling, confidence. He felt total confidence causing a grin to form on his face; to the voice it seemed a slightly predatory grin. The giant Shadow wasted no time in beginning the assault. To the Eternal Lost Boy, this was gonna be cake. The fist descended rapidly, forcing Ryoga to jump, and with a somersault landed on the thing's big wrist as the fist dived into the floor. The youth flashed a fanged grin as he ran up the monstrosity's black arm, the shadowy substance that made up its body was trying to cling to his ankles, but that didn't matter. He was gonna win. He adjusted his grip on the sword into a two handed grip, held low and to the side, upon reaching the summit of this monster mountain he jumped up and delivered a vast overhead blow to the creature's head making it erupt in a geyser of darkness. As the beast pitched forward, Ryoga flipped lightly to the ground…at least that's what was supposed to happen, but the creature's blood seemed to have coated the floor. "What the hell?? Aw man!" he yelled as he slipped and fell in the shadowy muck, feeling himself beginning to be dragged under, he panicked.

"Just remember…only you have the key to the final door. The time of the door's opening is both far off and very near…"

"Just great! Some encouragement!" he thought angrily as he was dragged under finally…falling…falling…falling…

"Ryoga ya lazy bum!"

End Chapter 1


	2. A Different Side Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. If I did, do you think I'd be sitting here in class writing fanfiction?

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at fanfiction so be gentle. I'm planning on doing updates in two to three chapter installments.

A Different Side

A Different Story

Chapter 1

"Ryoga ya lazy bum! Wake up!" **WHAM**

"No mistakin' those dulcet tones…ouch." He muttered resentfully. As his eyes opened through the pain filled haze, he could see the angelic face of Akane… and he also realized that he was awake. What a bizarre dream he had…he wanted to puzzle it out some more but Akane brought him back to reality with another devastating bop on the head. "Okay okay! I'm up!"

"Have you forgotten what we're supposed to be doing today?" the violent, overbearing (but cute!) Akane sighed at him. "We need stuff to make the raft. Ranma already brought his share of the parts, now it's your turn…" she was about to say more when an arrogant and cocky youth came sauntering up.

"Well good mornin' P-chan" the pig-tailed boy always knew what to say to piss him off. "I did my share, do ya think yer up to it pig head?"

"I'll get my stuff faster than you did. You just watch!" he jumped up and was beginning to bolt when Akane called to him.

"You need the list…" as she told him what he needed, Ryoga was already scanning around for everything he was going to need. The logs would be the easiest, he decided. Akane also mentioned they needed a large cloth, she also politely asked him not to take Kasumi's tablecloth (the fact she was wielding a rather large mallet made him agree immediately) and rope.

"The logs'll be easy." Ryoga cracked his knuckles expectantly, feeling that faint hint of confidence from his dream come back. Ranma seemed to be eying the Lost Wonder peculiarly. He noticed that Ryoga seemed to be radiating a light blue aura. "Be back in a flash!"

Ranma and Akane just stared at each other as he seemed to vanish, before they saw him running down the beach at full tilt.

"Wow." murmured Akane.

"Yeah. Wow." Answered Ranma intelligently.

The little island they were on was one of a chain of islands known as the Tokyo Islands, they little island they're on is called Nerima. The youth of the islands all seem to be healthy, vigorous, and more then just a little destructive. So it comes as a relief when the children leave every morning to play on Nerima, where the destruction is localized. Ryoga can't help noticing once again how beautiful it all is. The gentle waves lapping at his feet, the sun shining brightly, and he can't help feeling good. Impressed with his newfound confidence, he immediately hit the first palm tree he saw, and knocked it down. "Let's see Ranma match that…heh." After knocking a few of the trees down, he dragged them back to Akane. "Is this good?" waiting for praise…he was completely unprepared for what happened next.

"You idiot! How are we supposed to build anything with these if they're not cut!?" she practically shrieked at him. He could see the storm signs, he recognized that particular glint in her eye, though he was never on the receiving end of it, and he knew what was coming next….

"RYOGA NO BAKA!!!!"

He idly noted that she could stand to work on her back swing, couldn't complain about the follow-up though. He realized just how much he loved it here, though a bird's-eye view of Nerima was not what he planned to do today. As his thoughts caught up to the present, the ground caught up with him. The poor Lost Boy pulled himself from the crater he made to find himself looking up at Ranma, sitting on the Paopu tree.

"Usually it's me who's flyin' Air Akane…" the pig-tailed youth grinned cheekily at Ryoga. "Since yer here…let's see whatcha got P-chan!" and without further ado, commenced the battle with a front snap kick. Ryoga barely had any time to react before he was forced to jump back to avoid the kick. He did not have time for this, Akane was already pissed at him, his confidence was starting to drain, and Ranma seemed unusually eager to prove his superiority once again. Ranma was the best the best martial artist on the island and Ryoga was the only one who stood a chance against him. Ryoga countered the snap kick with a short jab, which Ranma dodged easily. It was getting so annoying, Ryoga would attack and Ranma would dodge. Ranma unleashed a flurry of high-speed punches at Ryoga's midsection. "Damn Ryoga! Ya can do better 'n' that!" Ryoga just gritted his teeth and stood his ground, his chest felt like it was on fire, his eyes were going blurry…"Not again" he prayed. He reached deep inside to the confidence that defeated the shadow and caught Ranma a solid blow to chest, sending him flying into a palm tree. Ranma was trying to get up when several large coconuts came down and knocked him on the head, sending him into unconsciousness. He maintained the stance for several more moments before what he did sunk in…he defeated the undefeatable Ranma Saotome. With a loud whoop he took off running back down the beach.

"I did it! I did it! I can't believe I finally got 'em!!!" he crowed happily, with this happy thought he felt he could almost fly…until he ground to a halt in front of Ukyou's Okonomiyaki stand. He was hungry, as his stomach rudely reminded him, so he stepped up to the counter. She was one of the more mature kids, who had a crush on Ranma. Ryoga reflected bitterly that every girl seems to have a thing for him.

"Hiya Ryo-kun!!! Welcome to Ucchan's! What can I get for ya today?" she gave him her cute-as-a-button smile while he looked over the menu. She knew what he would get, he was predictable, and it sure surprised her to see the big grin on his face.

"Hey Ucchan! I'll take the usual." He was practically radiating cheer. He watched her turn to get the ingredients as his thoughts turned to something else. Oh yeah, he needed to finish getting the materials for the raft. Though it was nice to be able to look back on his morning and realize at least one good thing happened, he beat Ranma.

"Here ya go Sugar." Ukyou said as she placed the food in front of him, hardly surprised when it vanished in under a minute. "What's got you so happy? I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that." She said as she sat across from him, absently noting the bright gleam in his eyes.

"Well, today began like any other. The usual morning fight with Ranma, but something was definitely different today." He puffed his chest out proudly. "I beat him." He suddenly looked stunned when Ukyou slid off the stool sideways with a loud thump.

"Ucchan...? A-are you alright?" he looked over the counter to check on her just in time for her to bounce back to her feet suddenly. "Yaaah!!!!"

"I'm fine Sugar! Just fine! Nothing wrong at all! Ha ha ha..." she didn't sound convincing even to herself. She noticed the wide-eyed expression on Ryoga's face. "Uhm... what's wrong with you?"

Just before Ryoga could tell her what was wrong...he heard it. The most terrifying sound since the invention on sounds... it sounded like a bicycle. Though what the sound of bicycle usually meant was that **she** was coming. Ukyou looked around frantically before dropping down the wooden board that closed up her shop, leaving Ryoga effectively alone and defenseless... "Oh crap." was all he could say before...

"Airen!!!!" was the battle cry as the purple and red blur latched onto him like a humanoid octopus. "Wo ai ni Airen..." she murmured happily as she nuzzled his chest. The look on Ryoga's face was sheer terror, his face a bright red that matched the color of her dress. "Shampoo look all over for Airen. Find Airen here and Spatula Girl's... I made you too too good ramen!" she finally released just as Ryoga turned several interesting shades of blue. As he lay panting and trying to get his breath back, she pushed the food under his nose.

"Uhm...thanks Shampoo..." he smiled in a please-just-be-a-bad-nightmare sort of way. He quickly dug into the food; he had to admit she was a great cook. He also realized as a consequence of eating so enthusiastically he may have put another nail in the coffin. He began wondering how it had come to this...

-Flashback-

He was lost. Nothing new about that, but at least the scenery was nice. He wasn't sure how long he walked along the stretch of beach before he came across a girl performing a kata with two strange mace-looking things to the setting sun. He was enjoying the view, her hair was purple and done up in two strange ponytails, and she was wearing a loose fitting silk outfit. The girl turning and seeing him interrupted his admiration of her spectacular form. "Oh uh.. h-hi there...I-I'm sorry if I distur- Hey what're ya doin'!?" he exclaimed in surprise when the crazy girl suddenly lunged at him with the clear intent to kill or at least beat him senseless. Now, unlike Ranma, he didn't have any trouble sparring with girls. This girl would never know what hit her. He just stood his ground as she swung the maces at him with a skill and precision he never expected to see from maces. "Okay...I don't know what I did...but I'm not gonna just stand here and take it. Got it?" so saying, he got into a ready stance.

"Shut up and fight!" she screamed as she renewed her attack with more vigor, he blows hitting Ryoga solidly but against the Eternal Lost Boy, they rang hollow against his endurance. The girl was completely taken aback by this development, dropping her guard enough that his next punch got through, flinging her to the sand in a small crater and landing her in a small heap.

"Oh shit! I-I'm so sorry!" he was never good with girls and here he went and broke one! He quickly ran over to her and rolled her over, half holding her, to examine for anything broken when she slowly came around. "Oh thank Kami-sama you're okay... Heh, sometimes I don't know my own strength...urk!"

"Wo ai ni, Airen!!!" she clung to him like white on rice, nuzzling happily. "Great-grandmother will be so pleased with Shampoo! My Airen is so strong and skilled!" she crowed delightedly. She failed to notice Ryoga's slightly terrified look and failed to notice the two-foot tall monkey on a stick pogo up to them.

"Xian Pu! What are you doing with that outsider male? You're supposed to be training!" the strange little monkey-thing scolded. Ryoga began to realize she wasn't a monkey; she was just a really old and small woman. She listened as Shampoo told her excitedly everything that had happened as Ryoga began wilting more and more under her constant attention. "Ah, this outsider defeated you? Well, Amazon law states that if an outsider male should defeat a member of the village in fair combat then they are to be wed," she noticed with some amusement the boy's frightened expression, "but since you are both so young...we'll take about marriage later." she cackled gleefully as she hopped away, leaving Ryoga wishing he could stuff that cane right up her-

-End Flashback-

"Oh yeah...hard to forget that day..." he muttered, a little louder he said "Uhm..I kinda gotta get back to work, ok?" he smiled uncertainly, Shampoo looked like she was sulking. She really was cute and was positively adorable when she pouted, but he could not be swayed...he had to go. Since she was not inclined to let him go, he used a technique he picked up from Ranma when he wanted to disappear and...

"W-what!? Where Airen go?" her head whipped back and forth as she tried to find him. What she didn't see were the footprints appearing in the sand rapidly leaving the vicinity. Now, if his newfound luck was holding out he could find the cloth and the rope before anything else happened. The great Kami is so fond of jokes...

"Hibiki! You're going down for hurting Shampoo like that!" the voice was familiar, terribly familiar, making Ryoga wish he hadn't disengaged the Umi-Sen-Ken so soon. The boy who issued the bold proclamation had long black hair and was wearing a voluminous white silk robe. The major feature of this youth was his glasses that were so thick you could barely make out the eyes behind them.

"Listen Mousse...I really don't wanna fight ya...I'm having a good day so far and..." he was rudely cut short by the near-sighted wonder who launched an all out assault with chains, knives, shuriken, and a swan shaped port-a-potty. Ryoga was so busy dodging the projectiles to notice Mousse whip out a bucket and fling it at him. "A bucket!? Now that is funny!" and Ryoga merely demolished it in one swing, drenching himself. His grin didn't fade until he heard the snickering. His head whipped around to spot Ranma, with a bandage on his head, pointing and laughing. Ryoga was pretty pissed. "What's so funny?" he demanded. As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew something was wrong. His voice sounded higher and more feminine. With a quick look down he confirmed his dark suspicions. "What did you do to me!? I'm a girl!" he (she?) howled.

"Now you can't take Shampoo away from me! That was water from the Nyannichuan! The Spring of the Drowned Girl! Wah ha ha ha ha!!!" he laughed maniacally until his world was turned upside down by a severely pissed off Ryoga. His punches lacked their usual power, but they were raining on the near-sighted fool with greater speed. On inspiration, Ryoga performed an amazing back flip, swinging his legs up with blistering speed and hurled Mousse into the ocean. Upon completion of his flip, he began to grin again...until Ranma reminded him of his problem...

"Now you're a sissy little girl...That's pathetic. Oh well...see ya later Ryoga-chan!" so saying, he strolled off laughing. Ryoga's eyes rolled up into his (her) head and passed out.

"RYOGA-NO-BAKA!" was all he heard before his violent awakening. He sat up rubbing his aching head, that hit had hurt so much worse than it ever did. "You little hentai! What happened, huh? You're supposed to be collecting supplies and here I find you dressed like a girl!"

"Not dressed like...he **is** a girl!" Ranma was still laughing about it.

"He's a girl!?" this coming from Ucchan

"Yep! I turned him into a girl! Ha ha ha ha!" now Mousse was here as well? Ryoga just wanted to curl into a ball and cry. When they say children can be cruel, they weren't kidding.

"I'm sick of this crap! I didn't want this! Damn you Mousse! Damn you Ranma! Damn you all!" he suddenly jumped to his feet and took off running, not caring where he ended up, just caring that he got away from them. He would have kept running if a voice hadn't stopped him.

"Airen? I can fix it." first thing that penetrated was that she could fix it, second thing...when did Shampoo speak Japanese this well? The Lost Girl stopped and turned to her. Shampoo smiled and flung the hot water she was carrying on him, turning him back.

"W-what happened? How did you do that?" he was in wonder as he asked, flexing his newly recovered guy muscles.

"It is from a place called Jusenkyou. The curse is triggered by cold water, but fixed with warm water. Unfortunately.. there is no real cure to the curse." she looked unhappy after telling that last part. "Uhm.. I'd still like to be your friend if you'd like..." she smiled shyly. She seemed to be a completely different person.

"Okay...what did you do with Shampoo?" tact was never Ryoga's specialty and he felt bad when he saw her flush and stammer. "Well...great-grandmother thought it would make me seem cuter.." she looked at her feet. "You're plenty cute without talkin' like that." he said with conviction. She suddenly blushed even brighter, her hands flying up to her face. "Oh...gee... Ah-I'll see you tomorrow Airen!" she bolted off in a flash, leaving a confused Ryoga behind. He just shrugged and began the long process of finding home.

-That night-

"Argh!!!!! Where am I now!?" was the cry heard across the island as Ryoga realized he was lost, again. It was really dark out and was getting on towards dinnertime. He thought it couldn't get any worse and fell into a cold spring. It just got worse. Ryoga-chan climbed out from the water and shook herself off. Her eyes drifted to the sky and her jaw dropped in shock. There was a strange purple and black cloud swirling overhead. Little black **things** were falling down from the sky. Finally Ryoga could tear her eyes from the sight and took off running to investigate. When he got close, he realized where he was. He was back where he started when he left. The black things suddenly resolved themselves into strange creatures with malevolently glowing eyes. One of them saw him and charged at him, Ryoga knew this was gonna be a cinch. The punch she unleashed should have demolished a small boulder, but the creature just shrugged it off. Now she was worried. She took off running towards the beach, despite how they treated her today, they were still her friends.

"Okay...this is totally weird..." was all she could say as she saw the little shadows crawling over the beach, demolishing everything they came across in mindless ferocity. She was hoping to find her friends and maybe some hot water. The last person she wanted to see was Ranma, but there he was. He was standing on the little island that was connected to Nerima by a wooden bridge, the shadows slithering around him but never touching him. The other person on the little island was Akane and they seemed to be arguing about something. Ryoga took off running across the bridge at full tilt, sidestepping shadows and narrowly avoiding back attacks, and arriving just in time to see Ranma punch through Akane's chest with a black glowing hand.

"I'm tired of this bullshit. You love to blame me for everything. So I laughed at Ryoga, the little girl deserved it. You just wanted me to do everything you said without complaint, even when you'd beat on me for no reason. Congratulations Akane, I'm rewarding your ignorant behavior...with darkness!" his lips were twisted in something that couldn't even be considered a smile, Akane's despairing shrieks didn't fade even as her body was consumed in shadows. Ranma surveyed the damage with a certain amount of glee, a glowing gem in the hand he punched Akane with. It was shaped like a heart.

"You can't even be a worthy opponent when your life is on the line." he grinned evilly as the heart crystal vanished into the darkness rising around him.

"Ranma! How could you do that to Akane!?" Ryoga-chan screamed at the pig-tailed boy. He could feel the depression radiating off him in waves, burning through him like fire. He began pulling the swirling feelings into a ball of greenish black energy, brining his hands together and pulling them to his side. "Saotome prepare to..." thrusting his hands foward violently he cried "...DIE! Shi shi hokodan!!!" the blast of heavy chi rocketed at the surprised Ranma, smashing into him with frightening intensity. The neo-girl allowed a grin to show when she saw it. She had gained revenge for Akane and stopped Ranma's just beginning evil streak and then... wait a minute.

"You transexual freak! That friggin' HURT!" radiating darkness, the boy grinned evilly at Ryoga. "Then again...I shouldn't be suprised." even his voice sounded different, it had a strange echoing sound to it. "I'll give ya some time to get better. Odds are..you'll never be as good as me. See ya around girly boy." before the stunned Ryoga could respond, Ranma hurled a ball of pure darkness, a ball of evil confidence, right at the stunned Lost Girl.

"Oh man..this is really gonna suck!" was all she could think as the blast rocketed towards her with Ranma's mocking laughter following it. Just before it struck, Ryoga felt a strange warmth centered around his hand. Acting purely on instinct, the neo-girl brought the glow up to deflect the blast and just stared as the attack collapsed. "Wow! Hey..where did that bastard go and what the hell is this!?" all she could do was stare at the thing that saved her. It looked like a giant key. A nice enough key as keys go he guessed, a gold grip for the handle and a silver "blade". A nice key...but where the hell did he get it? "Worry about that later." she scolded herself "I've gotta find any survivors...and hot water too..." Taking off down the beach, he checked all the usual hangouts. The little monsters that were giving her trouble before were now little more then cannon fodder, all with a blow from the Keyblade. Everywhere Ryoga went, all he could find were claw marks and signs of hasty departure. This was definitely not good. The only place left to check was the cavern under the tree and the Eternally Lost Girl was not thrilled about going under there. The fact that she had managed to find her way around this well so far was more unnerving then the monsters. When she looked at the base of the tree, she saw something that made up her mind for her. It was one of Shampoo's bonborri. "She's been nice to me...I can't just ignore this." Upon entering, the chill air and oppressive gloom make her want to leave right there, but the bonborri in her hand won't let her do that. "Damn you Ranma! Gettin' me into this! When I find you I'm gonna kick yer ass from here to Neverland!" she grumbled as she entered the main area of the cave. The cave is dominated by a giant door, in front of the door is Shampoo. "Shampoo! There you are!" she steps forward as the purple-haired girl turns to her.

"Ryoga...?" she murmurs as the door flies open, darkness erupting from the door, hurling Shampoo ahead of it like a leave in a tornado. Ryoga tries to catch her but she seems to just vanish on contact. "What the f-!?" the neo-girl's cut short as the blast hurls her through the mouth of the cave and face to face with the thing from her dream. The island is dripping chunks of itself into the ocean as the land mass is dragged into the sky towards the dark portal. "You again!? How many times do I gotta kill you before you stay DOWN!?" she roared as she jumped high and took it's head off like in the dream. Just as she's trying to figure out how to get down, the shadow's hand grabs her around the middle and whips her into the vortex. Her last thought is "Life sucks." before the world collapses into darkness....

End Chapter


	3. A Different Side Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts and all respect to the creators. Further warning, I may be incorporating other anime into this story. Oh yeah, I do not own Final Fantasy. Thank you and on with the show.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 2

All was darkness. Confusion was settling in for a long stay. Ryoga was certain he should be remembering something, something that upset him, but can't think of what. Gradually, consciousness settled in and he woke up. Hmmm... considering it looked like he was in an alley somewhere he wondered if he had woken up. As he took stock of the situation, he realized something that he had hoped was a dream. He was a girl.

Heads turned in confusion as they heard a high shriek echo through the town.

"No! I'm a girl! Dammit I was hoping it was a dream, but it's not! If I'm a girl then that means...that..." tears flowed freely down the neo-girl's face as she realized her home was gone. "Now you truly have made my life hell, Ranma!" punching the ground with tremendous force, pulverizing the tiled ground. He began remembering everything, Ranma killing Akane, Shampoo vanishing in darkness, the giant creature from his dream, all of it swirling into black depression. "Grr... No! I can't give up! He has to pay for this and if I give in, no one else will do it!" so saying, he stood up resolutely before falling down on his butt, realizing that 'her' center of gravity was different. "First thing's first...time to find hot water."

The first place she spotted was labeled "Accessories", maybe she could get some help there! Yeah and if pigs could fly...no! Can't think negatively. Her quest for revenge needed more positive feelings or she'd never make it. Upon entering the shop, a man turned from what he was doing to take notice of her. "Hey a customer! Welcome...oh, it's just a kid." the man wore a white tee shirt and was chewing on a stick. Ryoga got ready to go ballistic, but contented herself with a small growl.

"I'm not a kid and the name's Ryoga." she managed to say in what she thought was a neutral tone. The man heard the tone a person has before they go postal and decided to head it off. "Hey sorry 'bout that. The name's Cid." he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She was a cute kid, kinda reminded him of the kids he brought with him all those years ago. "Yeah...I'm wondering if ya saw a boy pass though here. Cocky, arrogant, black-haired with a pigtail? Wearing a silk Chinese style shirt and pants?" she asked, maybe this could be over quicker and she could go back to being depressed! What a happy..thought? Ugh. "No, can't say that I have..but hey, until ya find your friend I'll look out for ya." he said with a smile. The neo-girl nearly gagged at the idea of **that** being her friend. "Th-thanks... Uhm...Do you have any hot water?" she asked hopefully, if she knew that the pleading expression on her face looked so adorable she probably would've had a catastrophic system failure. Cid seemed surprised for a second, but shrugged. "Yeah. Hold on a sec." reaching under the counter to his water dispenser, with hot and cold water, he gave her the water. Ryoga was thrilled that this was so easy! She splashed herself with the water and waited for the results...and nothing. She blinked and grabbed her chest. They were still there.

For the second time that day the people looked around in confusion at the shriek of pure terror.

"Whoa kid! Whatsamatter!?" as he's trying to figure out what's going on, the brown-haired neo-girl sped out the door in a panic. He just poured himself another cup of water and drank. Chiisuiffon brand water. Nothing beats it.

"Ahhhhh!!!!!" was the cry as she took off running, not even caring where she went. How was she supposed to beat Ranma as a weak little girl? No way in hell! The last fight they had before this she won by a fluke! Finally, even depression can't make you ignore tiredness, she had to stop. Her thoughts were a whirl as she stood there with her hands on her knees, panting heavily. "N-no.. How can I do it? I hafta beat Ranma, but I'm alone...how can I do it alone?" story of her life, always alone. Her sense of direction is genetic. At least, she chooses to believe that, otherwise she'd have to think that her parents willingly abandon her for months at a time. The tears come again, thinking of Akane and..Shampoo...Akane who would acknowledge her existence to put a mallet in her skull and Shampoo who tried to be her friend. "I-if I can't do it for myself...I gotta do it for them...or at least Shampoo." she straightened up, her depression as always a fleeting thing and faced the black creature in front of her with new hope...wait. Black creature? The shadow peered at her closely, a black hole maw opened up and it licked it's non-existent lips at her. "Wah! Not you again!" the Keyblade manifested from out of nowhere and she sent the thing back where it came from. Now that that's settled...only about a dozen more to go. She leaped off the ledge overlooking the courtyard, slashing at anything that got too close and dispatching many more of the freaks. "Ha! You're nothin' compared to me!" oh yeah...fighting was the cure for all ills. As the shadows piled on, her grin grew bigger, more confident. Everywhere the Keyblade flashed, more shadows fell. Just as she was about to burst into maniacal laughter, they stopped. She frowned in disappointment, though to the observer she was pouting cutely. "Tch! No more? Don't wanna play with me?" Finally taking stock of her surroundings, she realized something...she didn't know where she was. "Where the hell am I now!?" she yelled before bursting into a fit of giggles...wait, guys don't giggle. Forget it! That felt kinda good. With a much brighter frame of mind, she went looking for more shadows.

Quite some time later...

"Yatta! Another defeated! Whew...okay...now I'm tired." she slumped down on a funny platform in a strange shop filled with clockwork things. She couldn't help but smile, her technique was improving rapidly and she discovered that this body is considerably faster then her old one. While she's still upset over her curse being locked, it at least had benefits. Her panting slowed, her heart rate leveling off, and the grin never left her face. Her stomach growled, letting her know she was hungry. "Hmmm...maybe Cid'll gimme somethin' to eat. Yeah..." he did say he'd take care of her while she was here. As usual she decided to follow instinct and trust her sense of direction. Trust is always betrayed on the other hand...but somehow not this time. She found herself standing in front of Cid's shop, feeling a warm glow spread through her body. "I'm..here...I found my way..here..." on impulse she bounced up and down, clapping like an excited teenage girl and stopped. Blinked. This day could **not** get any weirder. Cid was where she'd left him. He just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Uhm...sorry I ran out like that...water was too hot!" good save she complimented herself, at least he was smiling. "Would you know...where I could get some food? I'm really hungry." the last said with a pleading look. He just started laughing. "Ok...I'll get ya somethin' to eat. Just sit down." he gestured to a green chair by the fireplace. She flopped into the chair, definitely sitting unladylike. She let her mind wander over what's going on. Nothing makes sense, even the Keyblade...scratch that, especially the Keyblade. She felt her eyes closing and didn't fight it, a little nap before dinner never hurt anyone.

"Wow...you really wore yourself out, didn't you?" Shampoo peered into his face. They were sitting side by side on the dock, the waves lapping on the shore. "Is it really that important to beat Ranma? There's a saying that goes...'When you wrestle with pigs all you get is dirty and the pig has all the fun'. I got that from a T.V. show." she giggled, shaking her head a little. Ryoga had been having a bad day. Which was nothing new to him, but this was the first time he'd had anyone to talk to about it. "Great-grandmother says that obstacles are for killing...but I think she's been in the sun too long. We're just kids! Not battle-hardened warriors whose next breathe could be their last! So smile Ryoga! You're face isn't going to break." she teased him gently. Despite himself, he smiled slightly. "How d'ya do it?" he asked her. "Do what?" cocking her head to the side. "Y'know..make me smile." he said shyly. "I do it..because we're friends." wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He stiffened slightly before relaxing and returning the hug.

"Hey kid! Wake up! I got your dinner for ya." Cid's voice broke into the pleasant dream and woke her up. She blinked sleepily at him until his words hit her and suddenly she was up and alert, salivating at the delicious smells from the tray he was carrying. He set the round, fried thing in front of her and jumped back in amazement. She was eating like she hadn't eaten in years. When the frenzy was over she looked back to him with big eyes. He sighed and handed his over, with a squeal of delight she dug into the new own. Around mouthfuls "Wha ish this?" swallowing hastily, drinking down the water he provided. "Okonomiyaki. I got it from a girl who arrived here a lil' bit before you by the name of Ukyou." he was a bit startled by her reaction. She teared up and looked at the food like an old friend. "I shoulda remembered...Where did ya say she was?" she asked. Cid just grinned and told her where she was. Turns out Ukyou is in the Third District. Now that Ryoga had a destination, it was time to go. "Hold up kid! Ya need some sort of defense." he brought a jar of strange chains and rings. "Dip your hand in and pick two okay? Chains fasten to your pants and rings on your fingers." he explained, she knew that already but let him continue. He held the jar out and she dipped her hand in, pulling out a strangely glowing chain with purplish black spheres between the links, and a ruby ring set in an ornate silver setting. As she affixed the chain to her waist, Cid explained what they are. "That one is called 'Omega Arts'. You find them after defeating Behemoths. The other is a Firaga Ring and you find those when defeating Fat Bandits. All this stuff is worth munny so when you get 'em and ya don't need 'em, bring 'em here." as he said this, Ryoga felt strangely more powerful from equipping the chain and ring. If this is what these things could do, she'd definitely be on the lookout for more! "Thanks Cid! Well, I'm burnin' daylight...gotta go!" and darted out the door again at the same speed. He was just glad she wasn't screaming this time...

"They'll keep coming for you. They won't stop. But why would it choose you?" a young man with brown hair said as he stepped from the shadows. the gleaming chain around his neck stood out against the white shirt he wore, the jean jacket rustled with his movements, and his belts jingled. Ryoga wondered why he needed two belts and stopped wondering when he saw the bizarre weapon that seemed to have combined the more fearsome aspects of a sword and revolver. "I need to see that Key." he said and continued to advance. "There's no way yer gettin' this!" so saying she brandished the Keyblade, blade pointing towards him in a two-handed grip reminiscent of a samurai. "Have it your way." and he exploded into motion, the weapon drawn and nearly striking, missing by a hairsbreadth. If Ryoga was still a boy he would have been twins! The neo-girl felt the depression begin again and only just barely dodged the wickedly fast weapon and rolled to the side. This wasn't fair! She couldn't get revenge if she was skewered! Just as the stranger was setting up for the finishing blow, a loud voice yelled in Ryoga's ear. "Don't give up!" Her eyes snapped open and she put all she had into her next attack, lunging forward with all the speed her body could muster, and striking her opponent hard across the mid-riff. She held the pose, Keyblade extended, until she heard the thud of a falling body. When she turned she saw he'd merely fallen to his knees. "Wh-what...? How? No way...I can't lose..." he seemed to be muttering. Ryoga just grinned, as she was getting ready to cheer she realized...she put too much into that last attack and that was her last conscious thought.

"Wake up ya lazy bum!" said an irate voice. "Oh please not her...my already achin' head... " Ryoga prayed fervently. Not nice considering he'd been wondering how to avenge her. When his eyes opened he saw a black haired girl with a white bandanna staring down at him. She seemed like a cheerful person, so he assumed that he'd jumped to conclusions again...wait a minute, he checked and...he was still a she. Oh joy. "Uh hi?" she responded sheepishly. The other girl looked over to her companion. "I think you may have overdone it Squall." before being rebuffed with "The name's Leon." and Ryoga couldn't care less who he was because this whacko tried to kill him. "You nearly killed me!" she shrieked at full volume, causing a vase somewhere to shatter. The sudden outburst nearly floored the two as they shared a glance. "I was only trying to deter you from your path, but the Keyblade chose you...I guess beggars can't be choosers." he tried to retain his indifference and failed. That shriek really rattled him! The girl was kinder about it. "My name's Yuffie. I'm sorry that my friend is a bit of a..jerk, but you're safe here." she sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "Great, thanks. Now...what the hell am I doing here!?" she burst out "I was on my island mindin' my own business when suddenly these little black creatures appear and my rival kills one of my friends!" she began, but before she could finish Yuffie interrupted her "You're in Traverse Town, Second District and we have no idea what happened with your island. All we can say is that the Heartless did it." Ryoga blinked. "What are...Heartless?" she asked. "Those without Hearts. They have been seeking the Keyblade and would take your heart because you wield it. You're involved whether you like it or not so tough luck." he waved his hand dismissively. Ryoga began emitting a strange red light, Yuffie yelped in alarm and Leon looked curious. "You have no idea the **Hell** I have been through. I am not whinin' about the fact I gotta fight cuz truth be told, I like to fight. About being involved? I was the minute those sick freaks destroyed by island and my life! Sure I'm scared of what I'm gonna find, but those freaks should be scared of me as well!" she punched her fist into her hand, it sounded like the clap of doom. As if on cue, a new Heartless appeared in the room. It wore a strange medieval helmet and was blue, its claws were sharp and long. It was making odd, jerky movements and Ryoga had the Keyblade ready to fight, but Leon beat him to it. "Yuffie! Get Aerith and go!" he waved her out the door. "Ryoga! Let's go!" as much as Ryoga hated taking orders from him, his idea made sense. They needed more room. As she jumped out the window after Leon, she couldn't help but smile. "More playmates."

"Ignore the small fries and take out the leader! I'll secure the First District!" that was some time ago. Ryoga didn't complain about that, more for her to whack! These new ones..these Soldiers...were actually a bit tougher. What made them worse was that they attacked in teams and had some sense of strategy. Strategies don't work when your opponent is as fast as the wind and strikes like chain lightning. She grinned as more fell and even more arrived. With a powerful backward swing she blasted one through the door to the Third District, since it was still alive she leaped after it. As she dispatched it, a stone slab dropped down and blocked the exit. More Soldiers were down on the plaza in front of the Third District fountain and they were surrounding something. Correction, someone! The girl was hard pressed on all sides but was giving as good as she got with a giant..spatula? "Oh no! Ucchan!" she vaulted over the railing and into the midst of them, smashing them left and right with abandon. Ukyou gasped as the Soldiers faded. Just before she could comment on it, a loud explosion was heard over head and two voices could be heard yelling. "Waaaaaah!" "Woohoohoohooee!!!!!" Ryoga barely had time to look up as a white haired boy in a blue sailor outfit covered in zippers and a black-haired boy with a strange floppy hat, goggles, and ear flaps came in for a crash landing. The mass consensus was..."Ohhhhh...." Then the falling wonders exclaimed "The Key!" Further conversation was cut off when a massive suit of armor dropped into the "arena". As the Flattened Foursome stood up and dusted themselves off, a huge suit of Armor dropped down from the sky, spoiling for a fight. Ryoga experienced one of those familiar feelings of depression "How are we gonna beat this thing?" the neo-girl wondered to herself. "Nothin' gets solved by worryin' about it!" out loud she says "Alright guys! Let's get this thing! Attack!" she shouted and lunged at the giant Heartless with abandon, leaving the others to take on the Soldiers and Shadows that the Armor brought with it. Ferocious fire, fierce knockdowns, and a tremendous spatula were employed to demolish the enemy. Ryoga barely spared them a thought before focusing on her opponent. Every swipe of the Keyblade clashed harmlessly off of its plating. "How am I supposed to beat this thing? I'll never avenge them if I can't get past it!" she thought furiously before getting backhanded into the ground, leaving a shallow depression. Her thoughts began turning blacker as she watched it rear up to attack her allies. "No way…I can't lose…I won't lose…" she repeated as a mantra. As she attempted to stand, her hand fell on something; the ribbon Shampoo gave her. "I definitely won't lose." She tightened her grip on the ribbon before threading it through the keychain for luck. "Let's do it!" she cried as she vaulted back into the fight. Donald unloaded a massive fireball into the Armor's faceplate and Goofy knocked out its legs with a forward charge. Ukyou swung her battle spatula into a Soldier and hurled it into the Armor, who swatted it away. They obviously weren't sitting on their hands while Ryoga had her internal debate. The Lost Girl's return to battle was heralded by a powerful downward swing of the Keyblade, that knocked the Armor's helmet right down into its chest, a deep dent where the Keyblade struck. The confident grin on her face said everything as the Armor shuddered violently before collapsing into a heap of metal, a heart fluttering upward into the sky from the defunct armor. Everyone gathered around Ryoga after the battle, even Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith. Ryoga wondered where the heck Leon was when they were doing all the work.

"You did it Ryoga." Was all Leon had to say, before she could stop herself she retorted "No thanks to you!" he was a little startled by the outburst and why was she glowing faintly red and flexing her fingers like that…

"Ryoga!" Ukyou exclaimed as she embraced the startled girl happily. Donald and Goofy were staring at the Keyblade, barely concealing their anxiousness. "Oh Kami-sama… Ucchan! I'm so glad someone made it off there in one piece! After the island was destroyed I thought I wouldn't see anyone again!" she was crying, something that this body apparently could do well. As the two had their tearful reunion.… the sailor suited one cleared his throat. "Excuse me" he said in a strange quacking voice "We've come searching for the Key. I'm Donald Duck and this is Goofy." Indicating the lanky youth next to him. Goofy just waves nonchalantly, Ryoga thinks he looks vacant. "I wonder if a For Rent sign comes with that vacant head…" she thought. "Uh..hi." she waved hesitantly. Her eyes traveled to each person standing there before dropping to the ground. "I'm on a quest…to find the one responsible for destroying my island and killing my friends…if you're not gonna help then I'll manage on my own." Ukyou pipes up with "I'm here. I'll help you." She smiled at her 'friend'. So they didn't have a very close relationship, now's the time to correct it. Ryoga smiled in her direction before Donald cleared his throat again. "Fine by me. We need your help to find our King. You help us, we help you." Goofy butted in with "All for one and one for all, right?" then put his hand out, palm down. Ryoga and Ukyou looked at each before putting their own hands in, Donald joining as well. "I guess it's settled then. Let's get huntin'!" Ryoga said before the foursome took off running to the First District.

"Uh..Leon?" Yuffie began. "What?" he said, irritably. "They took off without even saying goodbye." She looked to Aerith "That was kind of rude if you ask me." The cute girl with the braid pouted slightly. "You must have made a bad impression on the girl with fangs." She continued, oblivious to Leon's scowl "Yuffie said you were a jerk and tried to fight her…that can leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth." Once again speaking to Leon, finally he snaps "Oh dry up and cry for Cloud! Geez…" he storms off furiously, Aerith's lower lip trembling. "C'mon honey… Let's get you calmed down…" Yuffie rolled her eyes as she led Aerith away. Sometimes she wonders if she was the only one who grew up…

Next Chapter: Girls, Gummy Ships, and Guys in Togas 'or' Ryoga becomes a Hero.

Author's Note: This story will only get stranger so please bear with me. As always read and review. Thank you all you lovely people who review my work!


	4. A Different Side Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Ranma ½ though I wish I did. Please refrain from suing the over-enthusiastic fanboy. The only thing I will take credit for is the novel approach I'm taking with the story and my new character. Thank you for your patience.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 3

"What a day." Ryoga muttered, feeling dejected. Here she is, sitting in the Second District and feeling sorry for herself, when she should be celebrating. She did great against the Armor and the Soldiers, but she can't help wondering how she'll get revenge on Ranma. She looked up to the stars overhead and felt a moment of pain at the thought that her island was once of the stars in the sky. She absently adjusted the shirt she was wearing. The new outfit she bought fit great and looked good too. She didn't know she had a sense of fashion and that scared her. She still shuddered at the experience though…

Flashback…

She stepped into the clothing store, tugging her pants up once again. She didn't have the same body so her clothes didn't fit. At least they didn't try to fall when she was fighting, how do you ask a monster to hold off so you can pull your pants up? The store seemed to be filled with all manner of clothing and accessory items. If she wanted accessories though she'd shop at Cid's, he was really nice to her. The sales clerk came bouncing over exuding an aura of 'cute'. She was a hyperactive girl named Azusa, who seemed to want to name every cute thing she saw. She kept trying to call Ryoga "Charlotte". When the madly grinning, and obviously psychotic girl was done with her, she found herself dressed up like some kind of teenage fashion plate. Her dignity stripped and violated, standing there in hip huggers and a mid-riff tee that said "Fear" across the chest. She had to admit that the backpack she was wearing was kind of cool, a single strap going from her right shoulder to her left hip, and the boots were durable with a steel plate over the toe. The only thing that really bothered her was the undergarments. Asuza had a point, it was more comfortable with them then without them.

End Flashback…

She decided she couldn't sit there moping any longer; she needed to catch up with her friends. Whoa! Sure, she liked Ucchan, but she just automatically thought of Donald and Goofy as friends. Well, there are **worse** people to be friends with. Ranma falls in there pretty high on the list. She adjusted her new bandana, it was almost identical to the old one except it was thinner and had longer ends in the back. When she got back to the First District, she saw her friends having a discussion. When she was close enough, she stopped around the corner of a house to listen.

"I want to go with you all, but Traverse Town needs help too." Ukyou said a little sadly. "But Leon says he has it covered." Goofy said as Donald nodded. "Yeah… Still, he does have a problem with letting others do all the work. He took off and left us to face the Armor alone while he 'Guarded the First District' as he claimed." She bit her words off savagely, Donald and Goofy quickly backed away from her. "I-I just don't know how Ryoga will take it. H-she was so happy to see me…" she sighed and scuffed her shoes on the ground. "Don't worry Ucchan, I understand." Ryoga said as she came around the corner. It felt strangely good to hear someone worried about her, but she also didn't want to make Ukyou unhappy. "You need to stay here and keep everyone safe, right?" Ukyou nodded softly before her expression turned to shock as Ryoga pulled her in for a big hug. "You'll come back here anyway… I know that. Where else will you buy supplies? I-I'll even give you a free okonomiyaki on the house!" she smiled brightly. The neo-girl felt a strange warmth inside at the smile, then gasped as it raced through her body. "Ryo-chan! What's wrong!?" Ukyou cried as Ryoga collapsed to her knees with Donald and Goofy peering at her worriedly. Everyone had to shield their eyes as bright flashes of red, blue, gold, green, and white exploded from her body. When it cleared, Ryoga was standing there with a look of wonder on her face. "W-what happened?" she asked in confusion as the others rubbed their eyes. "That was Magic. Though how you got it is a mystery. You showed no aptitude for it at all!" Donald looked her over with some surprise. Goofy as usual had a silly smile on his face, but his eyes appeared sharper then Ryoga would've guessed. Maybe Goofy is smarter then they think? "Well, we need to be going. Time waits for no one!" Donald went on ahead towards the gate to the world. "Uhm..great. How are we getting there? All I see are stars!" the Lost Girl said in confusion. "We go to other worlds in our vessel. It's called a Gummy Ship and it's really cool." Goofy said enthusiastically. Ukyou grabbed Ryoga's hand "Take care… and consider this a gift." Before Ryoga could ask, she was gone. She looked at the vial in her hand, it said "Elixir" she read the directions "Good for full recovery of vitality and spirit! Not to be taken if you are pregnant, smoking, nursing, eating chalupas, or riding water buffalos." She almost choked on that. "C'mon Ryoga!" Donald called "I'm piloting!" Goofy shuddered in terror.

Several hours later…

The "cool rocket" wasn't as cool as she'd hoped. She couldn't understand why Goofy sat there next to Donald with a crash helmet, strapped in tight, and praying devoutly to whatever god was out there that he'd make it out alive. She had slept for a while and snacked on some okonomiyaki that Ucchan gave her before they left. Since nothing exciting was happening, she decided she needed more shuteye. As her head rested on her shoulder, she began to dream…

"Where the hell am I **now**!?" he howled to the sky as he ended up on a part of the islands he'd never seen before. For him to wind up somewhere even he'd never been before was a little worrying. The sunset from this vantage point was beautiful as he gazed out over the cliff, palm trees and tropical grasses swaying behind him, it actually began soothing him… until something furry brushed his leg. He yelped and fell on his butt as he tried to jump and run in two different directions at once. When he calmed down, he realized what had done it. Sitting in his lap was a fluffy black kitten with bright yellow eyes. She had to be the most adorable he'd ever seen, it actually drew an "Aww…" out of him as he pet her. "Aren't you a cute one?" he stroked her between her ears and ruffling her fur softly, the kitten just eating up the attention. He heard his stumble rumble and brought out a sandwich. The kitten was looking at it intently until he broke off a piece for her. She wolfed down the piece like she'd been starving for weeks. Ryoga chuckled. "What should I call you, eh? Hmmm… I know, Xiao. You like that, Xiao-chan?" he held the kitten up to his face, she purred and licked his nose. He had another realization. This was something else he could do that Ranma couldn't! He could play with a kitten and keep her as a pet, but he couldn't because of his fear of cats! He stood up, the kitten expectantly at his feet. "C'mon Xiao-chan! Let's go home, ok?" he smiled and turned the corner. He looked down a little while later and realized… Xiao was gone.

"Dammit Donald! Where'd you learn how to fly!?" Goofy was yelling at full voice, waking Ryoga up with a start. Donald was waving him off breezily as they came in for a landing. Ryoga realized now why Goofy was so scared as she buckled herself in quickly. Not a second too soon because the ship had to follow the laws of gravity and hit the ground.

"Hey, a friend of mine once said that any landing you can walk away from is a good one." Donald said as he stood triumphantly outside the ship. Goofy pulled himself out painfully "Which friend said that?" he muttered grumpily. "Launchpad McQuack!" Donald proclaimed proudly as Goofy gave him a reproachful look. "Isn't that the moron who crashed the flight simulator?" Donald sweatdropped "Anybody can crash one…" Goofy practically screamed "Not the whole damn machine!!!" Ryoga practically shot of the cockpit and landed on the ground, kissing it and thanking Kami she was alive. The sailor-suited boy just glared at her, but couldn't take the glare from Goofy. "Ah screw it! Let's just get this over with!" he said peevishly before walking off in the direction of the gates to this world. Ryoga and Goofy exchanged a glance before following along after him.

The place beyond the gates was huge. It looked a huge courtyard with two massive gold statues, swords crossed over the doorway to a massive marble building. The sign above the door said "Coliseum". Now Ryoga knew what a coliseum is and marched up to the doors. Donald was so busy staring at everything around him that he didn't notice when they started to leave until goofy grabbed him by his collar and dragged him into the lobby of the building. The waiting area was small. Ryoga was a bit disappointed; she thought it should've been bigger. There seemed to a funny little person with goat legs hanging up a sign. She recognized it from a book on mythology she'd looked at. "Wow… a satyr!" she thought to herself "Uhm.. excuse me?" she asked. "Great timing! Gimme a hand would ya? Move that pedestal over there." He waved at a huge marble pedestal, not even looking back over his shoulder. Ryoga shrugged and walked over, preparing to push. "Uh.. it looks way too heavy." Goofy said, trying to save her from a painful lesson. "Too heavy?" he scoffed "Since when have you been such a little…" looks over at Ryoga who is cracking her knuckles and leaning her shoulder against it. "Wait a minute! Stop!" he shouts, but Ryoga just gives it a mighty heave anyway and shoves it right into the wall. The sudden silence after it hit the wall is broken by the sound of three jaws dropping. "Nothin' to it!" she dusted her hands off. Her friends regained their composure quicker then the satyr did. After all, she was chosen by the Keyblade. "Wait! Ryoga, look!" Donald pointed to a small keyhole at her feet. It was under the pedestal. Ryoga bent to examine it, but the Keyblade had it's own ideas. It jumped into her hands and pointed right at the hole, a blue beam shot from the tip and a sound could be heard as if it locked. She blinked in confusion as that wasn't the only surprise, a chest opened up and there inside was a funny keychain with a gold medallion on it. The medallion was emblazoned with a thunderbolt. She hooked up the new keychain and gasped in shock as it transformed the Keyblade. The new blade looked like a Greek column, and a blade that read "Olympus". The satyr regained his composure. "Well now, that was certainly interesting. This here is the world famous Coliseum. My name's Phil. Since you were able to move that block, I'll give ya a shot at the games." The neo-girl grinned at the idea of competing. If there's a tournament, then Ranma would show up! He's a sucker for these things! "Ok! What do I gotta do?" she asked. He led her out into the main area where there were barrels set up. "Your task is to break all the barrels within…" he broke off as he saw Ryoga smash every barrel in under a second "..the time limit…" he finished weakly. "Since you handled that so well, you should do well in the games. I'm gonna test your friends now, wait outside." He left to get Donald and Goofy. She headed outside, passing her friends in the hall. They looked like they were being led to their doom.

Outside, the sun shone down brightly on the Coliseum. Ryoga was sitting on the stairs, looking up at the sky, leaning back on her elbows. "Hmmm… Beautiful day…" her peaceful moment was shattered by a **very** familiar cry of "Where the hell am I **now**!?" she sat bolt upright and stared in shock at the one who interrupted her. She was very cute, her eyes were yellow, her hair is red, and her skin is brown as if tanned. The biggest shock though is the black cat ears poking out of her head and the tail poking out from her short shorts. Her top, if you can call it that, looked like a head scarf with a red checkered pattern. The backpack on her back appears battered, wearing a black bandana on her head. Ryoga has an eerie feeling of déjà vu as she looks at the neko-girl. "Uh.. can I help you?" no sense getting off on the wrong foot, she might be an opponent in the competition. The girl looked at her quizzically. Her eyes widened drastically and her nostrils flared softly. Somehow the neo-girl has the feeling that something momentous is about to happen. The girl grins wide and a flash of red and black suddenly hurtles itself into Ryoga and slams her into the ground. Ryoga is ready to fight until she realizes this person is… purring? She looks down and freezes, the strange girl is nuzzling her chest happily. "W-what!?" Ryoga splutters out. "Master! Your loyal Xiao has finally found you!" and enveloped her 'Master' in a fierce glomp hug which is returned just as fiercely. Their happy reunion is cut short by a throat clearing. "Now what's going on out here?" Donald asked in a tone that said he deserved to know. Goofy conked him on the head with an air of much practice. The two girls jumped to their feet, blushing down to their toes. "I missed you… I knew you didn't leave me on purpose. One night as I slept, a blue fairy came to me and offered me a wish. I wished that I could be like you. The next day, I had thought it was just a dream." She smiles "But it wasn't a dream. I'm a real girl. Now, after all my searching, I've found you again. I love you so much, Master!" once again glomping onto her. Ryoga sweatdropped "P-please… just call me Ryoga, ok?" the neko-girl nodded happily, bouncing in place. "Anything you say Ma-er-Ryoga!" the reunion would've continued except for Phil. "Hey guys! The first round's starting!" they all ran inside, Xiao pulling out a 6 foot metal pole with leather and tape wrapped on it as a crude hand grip. "I'll watch your back!" she exclaimed. At first, Ryoga was worried they'd have to protect her from the monsters, now she thinks they may have to protect the monsters from her.

Coliseum Preliminaries

Round 1

Ryoga assumed a traditional kendo stance and surveyed what they had to fight. It looked like the creatures they were fighting were strange flying creatures in different colors. One was red and the other was blue, they both had on yellow hats. Goofy just set himself, both hands on his shield, and looking competent. Donald held his staff as if it were a rapier in a classic en garde. Xiao's stance was the most bizarre, she was crouched down with her left leg extended behind her, her weapon held in both hands and pointing towards the rear, she seemed to bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Fight!" the creatures opened up with a barrage of fire and ice in Ryoga and Xiao's direction, but the attacks never hit because they simply weren't there. Xiao vaulted forward in a lighting fast pounce and sweep attack that blinked the first group out of existence. Ryoga had jumped high and come down hard on another group, ending in a wide sweep that cleared the area. Donald pointed his rod at a group of red ones and unleashed a Blizzard spell to wipe them out. Goofy used the least finesse, he just brought his shield up behind a group and smashed them flat. The fight barely took a few seconds. Phil was just blinking. "Maybe I should train them…" he thought.

Coliseum Preliminaries

Round 2

The second match looked to a bit tougher. Xiao's fur was bristling all along her tail at what they faced. "Don't worry. These Soldiers are all show." Donald told her reassuringly, until a Fat Soldier wandered in, then Donald looked nervous. "Ryoga, let me handle the big one." Goofy said, confidently. Ryoga took one look at him and shrugged. "Ok." Phil's voice rang out "Fight!" Xiao hurtled forward in a tumbling attack and kicked two of them in the chest, back into their fellows. One Soldier got too close to Donald and he struck it in the skull with his rod, charged with fire energy. The term "splitting headache" comes to mind. Ryoga flailed left and right, at home in melee style situations where the skills of a brawler are used. Goofy just grinned at the giant. The slacker posture is all but gone as he channels his energy into his shield. He yelled "Charge!" as he rushed at the Heartless, picking up speed before smashing into its gut with thunderous force. The Heartless flew across the arena, into the barrier, and smashed through it. His friends just looked at him like he'd grown another head. He just smiled lazily back, as if nothing had happened. Phil is speechless. "Training them could be worth it…" he thought.

Coliseum Preliminaries

Round 3

Before the fight started, Phil brought them over to show them how they stacked up. According to the chart, they were doing pretty good. "Wow, Xiao. I didn't know you could fight like that!" Ryoga grinned at her. "Well… ya pick up a few things when you're traveling. You're not so bad yourself." She flushed in pleasure at the compliment. "Not just you, but all of us. I didn't think we could fight like that. You guys are great!" the neo-girl learned the value of a well-timed compliment from Akane's older sister, Kasumi. The older Tendo was right, when done properly the effect is amazing. Conversation ceases as a man in a red cloak walks by them. His cloak is torn in places and his armor is mismatched. His blonde hair is spikey, his eyes almost seem to glow. His clothes look ragged, but his aura is what makes him impressive. He exudes a power and confidence that is almost tangible. "He looks like he'll be a tough one to beat." Phil says and they all nod. "Ah well, he's your next opponent. Good luck!" they all face-fault. Inside the arena, he reveals another trick of his. He pulls his massive sword out of a subspace pocket. They all shudder at the size of it. "It's not the size, it's how you use it!" Xiao called out to encourage them, they sweatdropped. Didn't she know what that meant? Even their opponent seemed startled. She just grinned, showing cute lil' kitty fangs. Ryoga gave her own fanged grin. The young man just shook his head. "My name's Cloud. Nothing personal, but I have to defeat you." He struck the classic pose, Ryoga also assumed the stance. The others assumed their various stances, except Xiao was behind Goofy. No one noticed the imperceptible nod that passed between them. Phil shouted "Fight!" and they all exploded into motion. Ryoga went at him, a direct frontal assault with Donald unleashing a fireball just over his shoulder. Cloud seemed to disappear, Ryoga's look of confusion turned into shock as he saw Cloud coming down at her. She just barely dodged the downward strike accompanied by an energy eruption. As Ryoga rushed forward, Goofy held his shield out like a platform and Xiao jumped on it, her legs and his strength vaulting her high in the air. Now it was Cloud's turn to look up in shock as a massive overhead swing took him in the shoulder. Ryoga did a sudden lunge and caught him heavily in the side. Their opponent spun in away from Donald as a searing bolt of Thunder caught him in the pants. "Ahh!" he cried out just before Goofy hammered into his back at full throttle. They leaped back to regroup, he was panting heavily but holding his stance. He seemed to glow with a strange dark energy and cried out "Ho!" before vaulting forward, faster then Ryoga, his massive sword sweeping them all to the side like they were nothing. The flat of the blade hurt, but their impromptu meeting with the ground hurt worse. Ryoga could only hear moans of pain from around her, Cloud stood over them all with a cocky smirk on his face. Ryoga had a brief flash of memory, Ranma standing over him like that when he'd won. The noises of pain drew his attention, Donald and Goofy were sprawled near each other with stars and smoke swirling around their heads and Xiao… She was crying. Something horrible clicked in Ryoga's mind. The vision of Ranma, Akane falling into darkness, Shampoo's disappearance… it all hit the neo-girl like a tidal wave. She stood up, her left hand out gathering Blizzard and her right hand gathering Fire. "I'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face…" she drew her hands together, the balls of Fire and Ice mingling as she shot her hands forward, adding a fierce spin onto them. The resulting attack was like Ranma's Hiryuu Shoten Ha, but fired vertically with a ball of Thunder at the tip. Cloud tried to sweep it aside with his sword, but it was simply too fast. It crashed into him like a bazooka shot and hurled him clear across the arena. As he tried to get up, a massive foot crashed down onto him. The foot belonged to a huge three headed dog. Ryoga grimaced at the thing, she's used up all her strength on Cloud. Suddenly a man appeared and held back the dog. "Phil! Get them out of here! Now!" Phil cried out "Herc!" before getting them to safety.

Out in the lobby, Phil was wringing his hands worriedly. "He should be able to handle it, but I dunno… Oh man…"he moaned. Ryoga discovered something in the lobby, it looked like a green and yellow circle. It glowed with a peaceful light. As Ryoga got closer, she began feeling stronger. She dragged her friends over to it where it revived them. "Ryo-ga…?" Xiao said sleepily as she woke up. "I'm here, Xiao. I gotta go back in. That guy saved us and he needs help." Xiao looked panicked then determined "I'm going with you!" before Ryoga could argue Donald said, "Count me in!" followed by Goofy "All for one and one for all!" Ryoga found tears in her eyes. This body definitely cries a lot, but she understands why. The four stood up and joined hands. "Fine then. Let's do it!" They all went to run back in, but Phil stopped them. "Where are you goin'? This ain't some match! This is for real!" Ryoga nodded. "I know, but what else can we do? This is just one more stop before my revenge on Ranma." She said quietly. He just shook his head "Good luck." Before they ran into the arena again.

They found Hercules backed up against the wall with Cloud over his shoulder. Cerberus turned all three heads in her direction, distracting him long enough for Herc to get away. A strange man with blue flames for hair and a black toga watched from up above. "Hercules… so strong and brave… and handsome to boot. He's perfect, perfect, perfectly infuriating!! Cerberus! Kill them all!" he roared in a voice from the pit before vanishing. Ryoga looked at the size of the beast. "Tch! This'll be easy. Xiao, you n' me jump on it's back and flail at the heads. Goofy, you and Donald keep him busy down here, but no stupid risks. That's for me and the chick with nine lives. She grinned at Xiao who nodded in response. Phil called "I got three words for you! ATTACK!!!" as Cerberus went in to chomp Ryoga and Xiao they seemed to vanish just before it felt a sharp blow on two of it's heads. It howled in pain and fury and tried to dislodge it's unwanted passengers, one head fired out pure darkness in a flame thrower pattern while the other two shot fire balls at Donald and Goofy. Ryoga was hammering away with single minded determination, powerful blows that could crush boulders were absorbed by the beasts powerful neck muscles. Xiao was having more luck with sharp piercing strikes, twisting and wrenching. It turned into a race to see who could get to brain matter first. As Donald hurled powerful Thunder blasts at the beasts chest and muzzles, Goofy was backing up. His body was glowing a brilliant green color, his eyes were gleaming and his jaw set. Xiao at that moment pierced into the beast's neck, crushing its spine. Ryoga also managed to breach the defenses, it's left and right head totally useless. The remaining head tried to continue to fight, but Goofy silenced it forever with a mighty lunge that snapped it's head straight up. They knew it was dead when it collapsed in a boneless heap. Goofy just leaned against the monster's body. "Well, this was interesting." They all sweatdropped at his definition of "interesting".

"Wow! You four are amazing!" Hercules exclaimed. "It shows that your sense of unity is strong." The four in question all blushed at the praise showered down by this hero. "You're welcome back when the Coliseum is cleaned up from that last battle. Good luck on your journey." Phil said after giving them a Hero's Liscense. "Okay, we'll be back." Ryoga said as they left the waiting area. She heard Hercules say that he softened him up before she jumped in. "Yeah right." She muttered before seeing Cloud on the stairs. They walked up to him. "Hey, you okay?" the neo-girl asked. "I was trying to find someone…Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired." He sighed as he walked by them. "Well how about a rematch? No dark powers involved!" Cloud said "I think I'll pass. Here, this is for you." He handed her some strange dark sphere, her eyes widened as she suddenly learned Cloud's Sonic Rush! "Th-thanks! Good luck!" Cloud nodded and walked away. As Ryoga was surrounded by her new friends, she realized that maybe things aren't as bad as she thought. Her smile shrinks a little though and the sadness returns. I will get revenge against you, Ranma. Count on it!


	5. A Different Side Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts so please don't sue! I have no money! Thank you.

Author's Note: Thank you everyone who has reviewed. This would not be possible without all of you supporting me. I dedicate this chapter to all of you, especially Ranko Urameshi who was my first reviewer. Now on with the show!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 4

Xiao was staring at the Gummy Ship doubtfully. Its appearance didn't instill security in the neko-girl. The ship was obviously battered and smoking. "Ryoga… Is this what you came here on?" she asked doubtfully. Ryoga nodded "Yep. It's called a Gummy Ship. I hope you like boring flights and exciting landings." the neo-girl looked on in barely controlled fear as Donald climbed into the cockpit. Goofy wordlessly handed the two girls crash helmets. They didn't ask where he kept them; they just strapped on the helmets and climbed in as well. The ship gave a funny little lurch as Donald tried to wrestle it back into the sky. Ryoga prayed that this would not be their last flight. Goofy looked sideways at Donald "Shouldn't you pull the stick up?" he asked. Donald sheepishly pulled up and gunned the engine. Their departing screams startled all livestock in the area.

Once again, the neo-girl's thoughts drifted to the past. She continues going over what happened with Ranma in her mind. How does she expect to beat him? She used to believe that he had rules, a code he never broke, and then before her eyes he broke it. He killed Akane and submitted to darkness. Shampoo disappeared shortly afterward. Maybe she wasn't dead? Maybe she just vanished and there was chance to find her! She perked up at the thought and looked over at Xiao to share this revelation and found her asleep. Her velvety ears twitching softly as she slept. Ryoga just smiled at the cute little neko-girl. Her thoughts were derailed when Donald exclaimed "A new world, dead ahead!" Goofy assumed the position, fingers crossed and praying. Ryoga held onto Xiao as added support as Donald demonstrated another 'perfect' landing.

"Hey Goofy! I think my landings are getting better!" Donald grinned in the goggled-boy's direction. Goofy found himself tangled up in a tree, trapped in vines. He growled down at Donald as he tried to free himself. "Great landing." his voice oozing sarcasm. "But where's Ryoga and Xiao!?" Donald shrugged "I dunno. They'll turn up eventually. Let's go Goofy." ignoring the glare that would have burned a hole in his back as Goofy climbed down. "I sure hope they're alright." he sighs as he follows the self-proclaimed "smart one".

"That was certainly one of Donald's worse landings," she thought to herself as she stood up slowly and dusted herself off. Xiao was standing up as well, rubbing her head. Good thing they were wearing those helmets! "How unique… you weren't kiddin' about the exciting landings!" she moaned softly as she rubbed her sore backside. Ryoga grinned a little at her. "Well, we're in one piece." She said, "Yeah, but where is the ship?" the neko-girl asked. They looked around, realizing they were in some sort of house. A huge hole in the roof gives mute testament to their entrance. As Ryoga is scanning the room, Xiao yells, "Look out!" and knocks Ryoga down as a ferocious blur leaps overhead. Xiao jumps up first, her pole out "You want her, ya gotta get through me!" Ryoga gets to her feet, Keyblade out. "Let's take 'em!" the leopard yowled before lunging forward and slashing with a powerful paw. The two girls scattered at the first attack, Xiao attacking high and Ryoga attacking low. The big cat veered to the side to avoid the downward strike and ran into Ryoga's powerful swing to the head. The cat's head snapped up and it stumbled around dizzily before collapsing. "Yatta! We did it!" Xiao squealed happily. Ryoga just shook her head "We better find the others." As they turned away, they heard a feral scream as the leopard lunged at them again. They had no way to dodge as the scream paralyzed them. It lunged, but a man with a spear and loincloth suddenly launched himself at the cat and flinging it away violently. The cat yowled in irritation before jumping out the window. "Hey thanks!" the neo-girl said as she walked up to the strange young man. "Hn me Tarzan." He grunted out. "Uh.. Hi Tarzan, I'm Ryoga and this is Xiao." Tarzan nodded once. "I need help finding my friends." Ryoga said. "Friends?" Tarzan asked. "Right, my friends! The loud one is Donald and the goggle head is Goofy." Her words didn't seem to pierce his thick cranium, but he got the gist. He nodded before jumping out the window. Ryoga and Xiao just shrugged before jumping out after him.

After following this Tarzan guy for what seemed like hours, they came across a giant hollow log that he jumped down without any hesitation. Xiao leaped down the hollow with a squeal of glee with Ryoga right behind her. Ryoga was watching intently as they came to the end of the tunnel before it spit them out onto a long and winding tree branch covered with moss. The neo-girl almost slipped off before getting the hang of it. She noted a little irritably that the neko-girl was sliding along as if she'd done it all her life. Once she gave in to it though, it became fun. Her shouts of glee were only beaten by Xiao's. The ride ended too soon for the two girls as the branch ended above a campsite. Xiao's landing was graceful and perfect, like Tarzan's. Ryoga's was harsh and brutal as she slammed into the ground, leaving a small crater. "Any landing you can walk away from…" she said as she stood up painfully. Xiao helped her stand up and helped her stagger to the tent that Tarzan went into. "Oh my! You must be friends of Tarzan!" a pretty young woman in a tank top and skirt said. "Yeah. I'm Xiao and this is Ryoga." This time the neko-girl handling the introductions. "Oh my! You speak English!" she exclaimed, "So you're obviously not related to Tarzan…" Ryoga's eye twitched at the constant "Oh my". Painful memories. "Tarzan's helping me find my friends." Ryoga said as Tarzan nodded. "Oh that's wonderful! My name is Jane porter." She introduced herself. A rough man with a huge gun picked that moment to walk in. "I found these people wandering about. The jungle is no place for the incompetent." He spat contemptuously. "This is Mr. Clayton." Jane said, her face falling slightly. Donald and Goofy walked in behind him. "Ryoga! Xiao!" they shouted, a big group hug ensued. Ryoga looked a little uncomfortable, but soon just went with it. It felt good to have them back. "These people will be of no help hunting gorillas." Clayton dismissed them with a gesture. "We are here to study them, not hunt them! That is not what I hired you for!" Jane erupted. Ryoga breathed a sigh of relief; if she kept acting like Kasumi, she would've been depressed. Then again, she's acting like Nabiki now. Clayton threw his hands up and stormed out. "You'll have to excuse him… He seems a bit high-strung." She laughed sheepishly. The four looked at each other, even Tarzan was disbelieving. Before anything else could be said, they heard a loud gunshot and Clayton scream. Everyone piled outside to see what had happened, when they found themselves face to face with the Heartless! They were surrounding a gorilla. Tarzan growled. "Jane! Back inside!" Ryoga shouted as the battle started. Tarzan went in for the kill, his spear and powerful lunge mowing down the new ape-shaped Heartless like wheat. Ryoga went in for a powerful spinning attack, flattening any that got too close. Xiao's method is sudden lunges and powerful pole sweeps that smash them flat. Goofy and Donald are working together, Goofy protecting Donald from their powerful strikes while Donald copies Ryoga's improvised spell, creating a crater where the Heartless used to be. The battle lasted seconds, but the gorilla got away unharmed. "Whoa… new Heartless, huh? Phew…but where's Clayton?" Ryoga looked around. "Hn Clayton there." Tarzan grunted after sniffing the ground. Ryoga seriously doubted real gorillas sniffed the ground like bloodhounds, but kept his mouth shut. The brightly colored, cartoony surroundings seem like the perfect place to suspend logic. "Let's go!" Donald cried and ran off in the direction Tarzan indicated. After exchanging a look that spoke volumes, they quickly ran after him so he didn't get into trouble.

It didn't take them long to reach their next destination. What greeted them was a sight Ryoga had hoped she wouldn't see again. That damn leopard attacked them before! "Sabor, danger" Tarzan grunted. The "Danger" part didn't need saying. A maniacal laughter filled the clearing, reminiscent of a certain kendoist's mad sister. "I see you've been playing with my kitty! Pity he couldn't just gobble you up!" a girl sashayed out from the shadows, dressed all in black. Her outfit looked painted on, revealing her shoulders. It was a complete body suit, complete with the Heartless symbol. That wasn't what surprised Ryoga the most, however. Their opponent was Akane! "A-Akane! What's going on!?" Ryoga sounded beyond startled as she stared at the girl. "I have orders to stop you, but you're not worth my time. My pet Sabor will destroy you. Come Darkness!" she threw her hands out towards Sabor, releasing a beam of darkness at him. "Enjoy your meal, pet…" she laughed that nails-on-chalkboard laugh as she vanished before their eyes. "No Akane! No.." she hung her head in despair. Why is Akane alive? Why is she helping the enemy? Who did this? Her thoughts are interrupted by Xiao's frightened cry "Look!" They all stared at the beast's transformation. Sabor was engulfed in darkness, they couldn't see what was happening. Suddenly they heard an ear-splitting roar as the altered beast jumped out of the darkness, flattening them all as he charged past. As they tried to get up, Sabor lunged again. Tarzan once again stopped him and flung him off, but received a deep gash for his trouble. The Sabor they saw before was radically different from this one. It had purplish-black armor all over its body, massive fangs hung out from his mouth, blades were jutting out from the shoulders. His tail was armored as well and covered in blades. He roared ferally before lunging at the weakest member of the party, Donald. The leopard's speed was ungodly, super-enhanced, and trained on the sailor-suited boy. He found himself flung away violently by Goofy's shield, a low growl from the knight's throat. Make no mistake, he is a Knight and is looking every inch of it. Sabor was shaking his head groggily as he stood up to see that his enemies have him surrounded. He tried cowing them with another roar. They remained unmoved, Goofy glowing bright green again. "Let me handle this. You find Clayton." As the others ran after Tarzan, he grinned viciously. "C'mon monster…let's see what ya got!" before shouting "Charge!" and hammering Sabor into the ground with his shield. Sabor bounced along the ground, flung like a rag doll. Goofy barely had time to dodge as Sabor lunged in again, leaving a deep gash along Goofy's shield. As the Knight turned to his foe, he quickly deflected a blast of dark energy from the beast's mouth. "Projectiles, huh? Let me show you something I learned in a comic book!" he wound up, and hurled his shield with all his might at Sabor. The agile cat jumped to the side, dodging the shield throw before lunging forward. Goofy was unconcerned, watching in amusement as just before Sabor struck… His shield came back and severed Sabor's head. "Have a nice day." Taking a fang as a souvenir before walking off.

Meanwhile…

"Clayton! Where are you, Clayton?" they all called out to him, but heard nothing. Tarzan was walking softly, warily peering back and forth. Ryoga was feeling a little inadequate. Xiao and Tarzan had heightened senses, but she didn't. It made detecting danger easier for them. If she had to be honest, she was jealous. However, jealousy wasn't a nice emotion and it was the Darkness used. She shuddered, there were so many times while growing up when they could have snatched her up. "Why me?" she asked herself for the millionth time. Why did I get the Keyblade? Why did Ranma fall into Darkness? Why why why… Her thoughts drifted away…

Flashback…

Ranma ran through the kata his father set for him for the umpteenth time. He was no closer to mastering it then when he started. It was one of the few things his "Pops" was teaching him that involved humility. His father could do it and he wasn't humble, so why was he having so much trouble? Ryoga just watched him screw up again, he could actually see where Ranma was going wrong. Ranma was always confident that he could do anything, but this kata was designed around exploration and trying. His musings were interrupted by Ranma's angry scream "I can't do this! This kinda shit is for sissies!" he stomped off. "I'll go beat on Ryoga for a bit.." he muttered. Ryoga growled "Where does he get off assuming he's gonna win?" his anger drains off, leaving him with a hollow feeling. Maybe I could try.. but if Ranma couldn't do it…maybe I got a chance? I try to be better, but he always beats me. No, I'll try it. Even if I don't get it then what have a lost? Nothing! He went to where Ranma was practicing and assumed the stance. Hands low, legs spaced apart with the left foot ahead of the right, his head low. He moved through the forms slowly, a few places felt rough, but he could tell that they would iron out with a few more repetitions. This could finally be something that he could do that Ranma couldn't, but he blocked those thoughts out. Finding a feeling of deep, inner peace. His reverie is broken by Ranma growling behind him "What're ya doin'? That's **my** kata!" Ryoga woke up sometime after that…

End Flashback…

"Ryoga! It's Clayton!" Xiao pointed frantically in at the hunter. He was surrounded by Powerwilds with his gun pointed at a group of gorillas. Ryoga almost shouted out to save Clayton when he noticed. The Powerwilds were obeying him! Just as Clayton was about to shoot, Tarzan flung his spear into the end of Clayton's gun, destroying it. "Tarzan! Get the gorillas outta here!" the neo-girl shouted. Clayton just stared at them impassively as the Cliffside behind him exploded and the hunter climbing on the back of an invisible something, a very big something. Xiao got her pole out and lunged right at Clayton "Xiao, wait!" but was too late as Xiao got smashed away by the invisible creature. Clayton pulled another gun out from a dark portal and readied it. Donald hurled a massive Fireball at Clayton, striking him and setting his clothes ablaze. "Ah!" he exclaimed as he hastily beat out his clothing accidentally kicking the beast's flanks. The beast reared up and lunged forward, throwing Clayton off and abandoning him to Xiao and Donald's tender mercies. Ryoga decided to chase after the creature and destroy it.

Xiao faced Clayton head on while Donald circled around behind him. The arrogant smirk on the hunter's face clearly said he had this little girl right where he wanted her. "You **are** an arrogant bastard, aren't you?" she said with a smirk. He quickly pointed his gun and fired, but she jumped to the side. He tried to follow her but took another Fireball to the rear. "Yeowch! Hot!" he popped up into the air before Xiao jumped up and came down with her version of the downward stab that Cloud used. Clayton took the heavy pole right between the eyes and hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Xiao stood up triumphantly and high-fived Donald. "All right partner!" she giggled as Donald smirked. His smirk turned to horror as Clayton stood up again, darkness oozing from his body, his eyes vacant. The hole where the pole struck is bleeding hideously. "Xiao!" he screamed and tackled her to the ground before the zombie Clayton could rip her head off with a powerful swipe. "Ha! Down ya go!" they all looked up as Goofy dropped in from above, bringing his shield up and imitating Kung Lao, split Clayton down the middle. "Nooooo!" he screamed as he exploded in darkness. "Here I am doin' all the work and you two are makin' out." He shook his head chuckling. The two just blushed.

Ryoga was hot on the trail of his quarry. It's easy to follow invisible in the jungle, especially if it's big. He just followed the flattened vegetation. He suddenly found himself in a darkened jungle clearing. "Damn…" she tried to find where it had gone, but the clearing was big with giant trees ringing it. It looked like a natural arena. "Ah, bravo Ryoga! You ran away when your friends needed you! I expected no less!" the maniacal laughter rang out through the jungle, causing Ryoga to cringe. "I didn't run away and you're not Akane! You're just some bitch with a bestiality fetish!" she roared out as she whipped her Keyblade out. "Ooh… feisty!" she laughed as she appeared. She seemed to be standing in mid-air near one of the trees. Ryoga suddenly had a bad feeling about this. "Your little friend with the shield killed my kitty. Maybe my lizard here should kill yours!" she laughed "But first things first… Destroy her!" and vanished before the whole situation went to hell. Ryoga found herself flung into one of the giant trees. The blow rang through her body, her spine cracking. "Ah!" she cried out as she slid to the ground. She charged in the direction of the blow, but got struck from behind and hit the other side with blinding force. "I-I can't die here… I can't…" tears of pain and despair run down her face as she tries to stand again. "I can't… but what could it hurt to try…?" she remembered the kata from what seemed like an eternity ago. She felt herself slip into the focus unconsciously, feeling the peace descend over her. She felt her wounds slipping away, everything slipping away, all was quiet and peaceful. Suddenly she felt it. She felt her opponent, the beast that was trying to kill her. It was creeping up on her…from behind! She jumped into the air, avoiding the lunge that would have killed her. She felt herself smiling, a strange angelic smile, before coming back down on the creature's back. She gripped the Keyblade in a two-handed grip and slammed it down with terrible force, hearing its bones give beneath the swing. The beast reared up screaming, but her focus never wavered as she swung away. Finally, it let out a despairing cry and hit the ground. She climbed off of the carcass, the smile hasn't left her face. "I did it. The kata that **he** couldn't do." However, that wasn't made her feel so good. What really made her happy was when she heard her friends running up. "I'm over here!" she called just before Xiao pounced on her laughing. "We did it guys! Let's go back to the camp." The neo-girl said as they all went back to camp.

"Poor Clayton… it really is too bad." Jane said, everyone sweatdropped at her. Tarzan nudged Ryoga's hand. "What is it? You want me to come with you?" he nodded. "Okay…lead on. I'll be back guys." She said as she followed Tarzan out of the tent. They went back to where they fought Clayton, Ryoga fighting down the urge to vomit at the sight of ants eating Clayton's flesh. "Bon apetite…"she said sickly as she watched Tarzan bound up the cliff. Ryoga followed as fast as she was able and had to run to keep up with Tarzan as he went into a big cavern. The cavern was filled with ledges and running water. The sight was beautiful. Tarzan had no trouble navigating the ledges, but Ryoga, who wasn't raised by gorilla's, did. They entered a smaller cavern with a keyhole set in the far end, surrounded by beautiful blue butterflies. The Keyblade pointed at the keyhole again and sealed it. "Thanks Tarzan…" she smiled at him. He nodded back at her gravely. "Time to head back." She said before she noticed popped out of the keyhole, it looked like a Gummy Block. She pocketed it as they left the cavern.

"You must spend the night. You poor dears look exhausted!" Jane said to them as she cooked over the fire. No one complained at her suggestion, especially since they smelled yummy food! Ryoga and Xiao had the worst manners. Ryoga was inhaling as Xiao lapped at the stew in the bowl. The rest of them looked at Tarzan. He was eating practically civilized compared to these two. After dinner they showed their appreciation with a mighty belch, followed by deep blushes. "Sorry. Heh heh." Ryoga chuckled, Xiao just giggled nervously. "It was good." Was all she said. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Well, time for bed!" they nodded as they went to their blankets. Xiao had combined hers with Ryoga's and nothing could change her mind. Ryoga watched her as she slept. "She's cute when she sleeps…somehow she reminds me of Shampoo…"she thought as tears started to fall. "You can't be dead… I feel it now… I'll find you." Was her last thought before sleep took her.

End Chapter 4


	6. A Different Side Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Thank you for understanding.

Author's Notes: I love this story so much that I'm writing as often as I possibly can. That's good for you because it means more updates. Just so you know, I may not be doing this in the order that the game does, but it's the order I do it in. Anyway, on with the show!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 5

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Gummy Ship, Kingdom. Their mission, to seek out new worlds and new life. In addition, to survive Donald's bizarre landings. Ryoga looked worriedly at the neko-girl next to her. She had the helmet pulled down snugly and gripping the armrests with immense force. She was crushing the armrests. The neo-girl whispered, "Are you ok?" to the frightened girl. The glare she received for her troubles made her shut up. "Don't worry, Xiao. We'll get out of this alive." Ryoga said. "Yeah, he hasn't killed us yet." Goofy added darkly. Donald growled out "If you think you can do better, then you do it!" before sliding the flight stick wheel to Goofy. Goofy blinked and grinned. "About time ya came to your senses!" gripping the wheel and almost killing them on an asteroid. "Ah!!! What is your problem!?" Xiao screamed in terror. Goofy blushed sheepishly and corrected their course. This went on for the next hour. Every time he'd correct his course, he'd fly at something hard and unyielding. Finally, he shoved the wheel back to Donald. Goofy grumped "I guess it is harder then it looks." Donald wisely didn't say anything as the flight became much smoother. Xiao, who during all this had wrapped herself around Ryoga in panic, finally moved back to her own seat. Even the neo-girl's hair was standing on end. They all resolved that a few messy landings made up for a messy flight. "I haven't killed you yet. Besides, we're all a helluva lot more durable then most of the poor saps we meet." Goofy glowered "Because of your landings." The sailor-suited boy looked across at him "Wanna try again?" the goggle headed boy got ready to retort before Ryoga popped him on the head. "Cut it out! Goofy, you man the guns cuz you shoot well and Donald pilots cuz he flies better. Me n' Xiao just sit back here and enjoy the flight." So saying, she sat back in her seat and promptly went to sleep. Xiao's poor lil' kitty nerves were stretched to the breaking point, but she managed to relax enough to watch the scenery go by. "Ya never know when life'll throw ya a curveball." She mused as she thought about recent events. Her attention was suddenly riveted to just outside the ship. "G-guys?" she stammered "There's another world out there!" she pointed. "Hmm?" Donald looked out the window and froze in shock. The world that was floating out there looked as if it had seen better days. Darkness was literally radiating off of it! "Ok everybody! There's a good chance the King may be down there as well as Ryoga's enemy! Everybody gear up!" Donald said, his face set in hard lines. Ryoga just said "Let's go."

The landing this time was practically gentle compared to what they're used to. Donald's cautious approach meant that they hit the ground with only a light bump and not bone-jarring force. They disembarked at the top of a giant rabbit hole. None of them liked what they saw, it looked like malevolence was oozing from the opening. Xiao's ears were lowered "The people of this world need help. There's no time to be scared." Ryoga said, even though she didn't want to go in there either. "Maybe if we hold hands it won't seem so bad." Donald suggested as the all linked hands. "1..2..3..GO!" the all jumped in at the same time, drifting down like skydivers. The walls of the hole were bizarrely decorated. At first, they saw red and black checkered walls, but as they descended, they saw sheer black walls with death's heads adorning them. The feeling of gloom and fear pervaded, Ryoga's heart felt conflicted. She felt like she was being pulled in, but shook her head violently. "I won't give in." she growled out softly. Xiao and Goofy squeezed her hands reassuringly.

Sometime later…

The fall took what felt like hours. As they landed gently on their feet, a big improvement of their normal landings, they took stock of the situation. A little white rabbit with a huge pocket watch ran by yelling, "I'm late! I'm late! Oh my fur and whiskers!" as he rushed by, the lights seemed to flicker and they saw a black creature with stitched on bunny ears, red eyes and sharp teeth snarling hideously. Before they could react the lights returned to normal and the white rabbit reappeared. "Ok, now I'm officially weirded out." Xiao shuddered. Goofy put a hand on her shoulder "All we gotta do is keep our light burnin' strong. We have to so we can save them." Donald nodded his ascent. Ryoga barely heard them as she followed the rabbit in a daze. "Follow him." She said, not even waiting to see if they're coming. She found herself in front of a blue door. The light flickered and it turned black, oozing red. Ryoga suddenly screamed in terror and hurled a Shi Shi Hokodan into through the door. She was assaulted by pain and despair, she screamed again as she tried to force it back down. She was dimly aware of bodies around her, someone was holding her, whispering softly. After a time she felt herself returning, she focused on the peace she learned from the kata, and calmed down. "It's okay, Ryoga… It's alright…" Xiao was whispering as she stroked her hair, even Donald and Goofy were hugging her. "I'm ok. Th-thanks." She stammered, taking a deep breath she smiled slightly. "No sense being scared when I got my friends here, right?" they all nodded at her. "Alright, let's go." They entered the door and into the terror beyond.

The room they entered was all done in pastels and light tones. The sight that greeted them was the little bunny running through a small door with a strange doorknob. Ryoga crouched down to the doorknob and peered at it. "Yawn! What do you want?" it said. Everyone peered even more closely at it. "Uhm.. how do we get in?" the stunned neo-girl asked. "Try the table… over there." It yawned again before going back to sleep. They all looked stunned at the table that magically appeared with a can on it that said "Drink Me". "Oh well, we can't stand here forever." The neko-girl took a sip and gasped as she shrunk rapidly. "Hey! We can get in now!" she cried from below. Before they could pass the can around, Heartless appeared. Even more bizarre was that they were small as well. Ryoga laughed "Oh Kami-sama this is hilarious! They need to work on their timing!" Donald just grinned and stomped them flat. Xiao was giggling like a maniac as the rest of them shrunk as well. "That was funny… How'd they get so dumb?" as they shared a welcome laugh, a relief from the oppressive gloom, Ryoga saw a hole in the wall. She sighed "Okay guys, let's get this over with." They nodded as they went through the hole into a huge courtyard made of rose bushes. It looked some strange trial was occurring. The white rabbit was tooting a horn before announcing "Silence! Court in session! The Queen of Hearts presiding!" the large woman sitting in the judge's box was glowering. "This girl is the culprit! There is no doubt about it! How do you plead?" she demanded of a cute little blonde girl in a blue dress and white apron. The girl stammered "Not guilty! Just because you're the queen, doesn't give you the right to be so mean!" she folded her arms across her chest. "SILENCE!!!" the queen roared. "For the crime of attempted theft of my heart, I sentence you to death!" the lights flickered. Ryoga and the others gasped at the transformation. The Queen was wearing a strange leather outfit, her scepter replaced with an odd pole with a boat hook at the top. Her face was pale and sores oozed. Her eyes were red as she shrieked "Strip her flesh and eat her!" The only one unchanged was the girl, who was staring about her in horror. "C'mon guys! Let's do it!" as the Card Soldiers ran at Alice, they found themselves beaten back by a furious onslaught of Keyblade, pole, shield, and spell. The Queen was shrieking evilly to kill them all before Ryoga smashed her in the head, dazing her. All the red cards abruptly collapsed as the black cards attacked with greater fury. Xiao grabbed Alice around the waist and jumped onto one of the ledges around the garden. "Don't worry, you're safe with me!" she grinned reassuringly, Alice returned it tentatively. "Is she now?" a dark voice growled out hideously. "Wha…?" all activity ceased as a blood-curdling scream of pain reverberated through the impromptu arena. "What the hell?" Ryoga thought as she saw Xiao smash into the ground, her body a mass of bloody claw marks. The neo-girl rushed over to her side "Who did this!?" she screamed. "Look…out…" she choked out before passing out. Ryoga grabbed Xiao and jumped back just in time to avoid a massive shape hit the ground. "Hiya ha! You've gotten better, boy!" the beast remarked. The area shimmered and everything returned to normal, but the beast remained. It was black and red in the pattern of a panda, it wore a black choker with massive spikes around its neck. Chains dangled from its arms and legs as well as the collar. Ryoga experienced another shock. "G-Genma!?" the beast grinned. "Fight me alone if you dare… Jester! Kill the others!" he gestured and Donald, Goofy, and Xiao flew through the way they came in. The hole was suddenly bricked over. "If ya wanna save them. You hafta find me first, femboy." He laughed sadistically before using the Umi-Sen-Ken and vanishing. "Genma… I'll kill you for this!" she swore. She looked for Alice, but realized she was gone. "How can I do this?" she began to despair, she had no time! "Don't give up, Keyblade Master. We all need you. Haven't you persevered before?" a funny purple cat appeared. "Panda no Baka is in the Tea Party garden. Normally I speak in riddles, but this isn't the time." He said. Ryoga nodded and ran through the only door available to her. Even the queen called out "Good luck!"

Elsewhere…

"What did he mean by Jester?" Goofy asked. Donald just shook his head "I dunno. C'mon Xiao… pull through." He held his hands over the wounded girl's still form. He had the feeling they'd need all the help they could get. As he focused, the light from his glowing hands closed up her wounds. When she sat up coughing, Donald and Goofy hugged her tight. She groaned "Oh Kami-sama…what happened…? Where's Ryoga!?" she exclaimed as her eyes darted about. "We don't know." Goofy said. Conversation was ceased as they suddenly had more pressing things to worry about. The ghastly figure of Jester appeared. He seemed to have four, crab jointed legs, a smallish black torso, long ribbons for arms and a strange totem pole of faces. He was juggling two huge clubs, maybe even larger by the fact that he was normal sized while they were shrunk. "Sometimes it just don't pay ta get up in the morning…" Xiao said in resignation.

Ryoga's frantic flight through the forest was stopped repeatedly by Heartless. It seemed as if she was being swamped by Soldiers, Shadows, Fat Soldiers, and those weird Fire casting Heartless. She screamed in frustration as she smashed through another dozen monsters. "I have more important things to do! I have to save my friends!" she screamed even louder, her aura burning red before exploding in a wash of power that knocked all the monsters off their feet. With a speed born of desperation, she began destroying them like a Goddess of Destruction. They tried vainly to corner the berserk neo-girl, but couldn't even get within a foot of her without dying instantly. "Try this on for size!" Fire and Ice gathered around her, she focused her will and combined it with her furiously building power to set it spinning. The Heartless found themselves being draw into the powerful cyclone "Ranma's not the only one who can alter techniques! Hiryuu Shoten Ha – Revised! Gale Buster!" her enemies couldn't escape as they were drawn into the swirling winds before struck by a bolts of Thunder. When she slashed the Keyblade down, they all hit the ground with tremendous force. She panted from her exertions and from the wounds she received during battle. "I (pant) won't lose (gasp)" she wondered how she would go on when she remembered the Elixir Ukyou gave her. With a silent thanks, she gulped it down and felt her strength return. "C'mon Genma… it's time to dance." She growled as she headed through the forest.

While Ryoga was dancing through his foes, her friends had more immediate concerns. Such as, the giant that was trying to stomp them flat or crush them with it's flaming juggling sticks. "Goofy!" Donald cried, sending the healing spell towards the goggled youth as he hit the ground again after a savage kick. The young Knight shook his head. "Nothing we do is working. We need to strike his head!" he said before tackling Donald out of the way of a burst of flame from the Jester's mouth. "Keep him busy! I've got a plan!" she cried as she leaped off with dizzying speed. Goofy and Donald looked at each other. "Let's go get 'em, Goofy!" Donald said as he powered up, forming the improvised spell that Ryoga pulled off in the tournament. Goofy just gathered in his chi, glowing bright green. Together they yelled, "Go!" as Donald released the spell, blowing its legs out from under it as Goofy hurtled at its chest, further disorienting it. Xiao was on the table, her hands gripping the pole painfully tight. "I only got one shot that this… I won't fail!" she leaped high, holding the pole over her head menacingly, her aura flaring a bright yellow that matched her eyes. "Iai Blow!" she shouted as she slammed the pole onto the Jester's head, knocking it out. She was panting from exertion when she landed. "Th-that should hold him…until Ryoga gets here…" they moved as far from the creature as they could, watching it warily. This was going to be a tense wait.

As she entered the garden, her danger sense kicked off and she leaped forward. She spun to see Genma, his fangs bared in a snarl as he extracted a massively clawed paw from the crater he made. "Your anger will make this easier. Anger is a poor substitute for control. That's why my boy will always be better then you." He sneered. Ryoga's vision filled with flames "How dare you! Some martial artist you are! What happened to the code?" she demanded coldly. The panda laughed hideously "The 'code' is so easy to manipulate. I could just say that we are protectin' the weak from themselves by destroyin' them before they destroy themselves." He laughed again, raising the hair on Ryoga's neck. This guy was totally gone! She had to save her friends! "Attack me then, Ryoga- **chan**!" before he could laugh again, Ryoga charged him furiously. The Keyblade was held high in preparation for a finishing strike, but it never landed. Genma caught the Keyblade with just his claws! "Hiya ha! Stupid and weak! Such lack of focus…" he said before palm striking her in the stomach, flinging her across the garden into the wall. She shook her head to clear the haze before realizing in horror she lost the Keyblade! Genma merely tossed it aside. "If that's your best, then this will be over soon. Defend yourself!" he roared as he charged, lunging in a lightning fast jump kick. She quickly dived to the side, but still felt pain as his claws raked her side. She landed, rolling into a standing position. Her side was on fire, the glance she spared showed a strange black ooze weeping from the wound. "Pathetic. Whoever taught you how to fight would be disappointed." He sneered tauntingly. "Shut up! I'm not through yet! Besides…" this time she smiled with confidence she was beginning to feel again as she held her hand out. The Keyblade materialized in her hand much to Genma's chagrin. "I do believe that things have just changed in my favor." She brandished the Keyblade, assuming a classic kendo stance in a two-handed grip. Genma set himself to charge, but something forced him to pause and consider the situation. He assumed a wary posture, his stance carefully masked. He growled in an attempt to cow this young upstart, but she didn't even seem to be paying attention. Her eyes were closed, as she seemed to be considering something. "I may not be as good as you, but I try. I won't stop trying either. I'm doing this, not for myself but for my friends. This was a quest for revenge, but now its much more." Her smile turned from confident to almost serene, angelic. As the youth's posture changed, Genma's face twisted in confusion until comprehension dawned on him like a slap in the face. "Th-that expression and posture… How did **you** learn it?" he asked in disbelief. Ryoga didn't answer as she was in her own world, her posture was relaxed and open, her defenses were virtually nonexistent, but Genma knew better. He had to stop her before she figured it out fully, even though a part of him was thrilled that **someone** learned it. With a thunderous roar, he charged, practically disappearing as he aimed a brutal front kick for Ryoga's face. The neo-girl didn't even change expression; she merely flowed around him before delivering a powerful single-handed swipe with the Keyblade followed by a punishing kick in the kidney that hurled him into the wall of the house in Tea Party garden. Genma stood up painfully, getting himself ready for his next shot. Ryoga's eyes opened slowly, lazily, her eyes peaceful, but as Genma looked closer, there was steel in that gaze. "I can't play with you any longer Saotome-san." Her voice was quiet, dreadfully quiet. "I have people who need me. Sayonara." He didn't see so much as felt the brutal onslaught as the Lost Girl has seemingly found a part of herself that was hers alone. Despite the pain, Genma reveled in the potential that he had never seen in Ryoga before. The last image he saw was of Ryoga before him, the Keyblade glowing, and then nothing.

She stood back as the beast that was once Genma Saotome hit the ground. After a salute to him, she ran back out to the forest. When she was gone, a familiar pig-tailed youth appeared. "So, a pathetic little girl beat ya, huh? Gee, Pops, you've lost your touch. The Darkness granted us power and you're squandering it! Ryoga's not that great. I've beaten him before so should have won easily." He glared contemptuously at his father. "Maleficent won't be happy about this. If she believes I can't hold up my end of the bargain, she'll kill us both. Panda no Baka." He grumbled as he heaved the panda over his shoulder before disappearing.

As he entered the court, he noticed the hole his friends were thrown through was open. She didn't even hesitate as she bolted through the opening and skidded to a halt in surprise. Donald and Goofy were fighting off the giant Heartless, Jester with the help of.. Xiao!? "Oh Kami-sama! Xiao's alive!" she thought with relief as she saw Xiao climb up on the table. "One more time, guys! Iai Blow!" she watched as the neko-girl's pole glowed yellow as she struck the monstrosity a tremendous blow to the skull that drove it into the floor dizzily. She landed awkwardly and sprawled on the ground. "Just a bit longer before Ryoga gets here! Hold on, Xiao!" that was enough, Ryoga ran up to them. "Guys! I'm here!" she skidded to a halt just before Xiao glomped onto her. "Oh thank goodness! I'm so tired…" she said blearily. "Just a bit longer, Xiao. I need all of you to help. Together we can take 'em." The neo-girl grinned encouragement. Xiao nodded as Donald and Goofy readied themselves. "Ok, me n' Xiao will hit 'em high while you and Goofy hit 'em low." Donald and Goofy looked at each other, doesn't she realize they've been doing that for almost a half hour? Apparently, it's still a good plan. "Ok! Let's go!" Ryoga and Xiao climbed onto the table while Donald placed himself behind the Jester with Goofy in front. Donald powered up to release the only spell he still had power for, Fire, as Goofy channeled his remaining ki into his shield. Donald nodded at Goofy as the Jester staggered back to its feet just a second before it was caught between a massive fire burst and an all out charge, it's leg's cracking and smoking before falling down, unable to stand. Ryoga and Xiao went into leap attacks, Xiao performing her Iai Blow while Ryoga putting all her strength behind a massive overhead strike. As the two struck, it's head cracked hideously before a heart gem exploded out and vanished into the sky. "Whew… that was a kick." Was all Ryoga could say before she passed out. If she'd been watching, she would've seen everyone else collapse too.

Several hours later…

"Ryoga, ya gotta wake up now… Ryoga!" the neo-girl was a little irritated at being shaken. Couldn't they see she was tired? The first thing to greet her tired eyes was Shampoo's smiling face. "Hey, you're awake. You've slept long enough, y'know. You had us worried." Ryoga's eyes were blurry with tears as she hugged the purple-haired Amazon. "You're alright, Shampoo!" Shampoo sounded startled "Shampoo? I'm not Shampoo, I'm Xiao!" "Huh!?" was the intelligent response from Ryoga as she got a good look at who it was. The events of the last few hours hit her all over again and she burst into body wracking sobs. Xiao pulled her in for a warm hug while Donald and Goofy added they're arms to it as well. They sat together like that for an unknown period of time before she finally got herself under control. "Th-thanks… I'm s-sorry for bein' so weak…" Xiao shushed her "Being able to cry is a form of strength. It's just how you relief stress. Besides, why are you apologizing? We're your friends and we're always here for you." She said before kissing Ryoga's cheek. Ryoga nodded into her shoulder. "It's ok to cry. No one expects ya to smile all the time, but you do have a great smile. Just show it more!" Goofy encouraged her, eliciting a small smile. "Ya gotta do better then that!" Donald said as he tickled her, causing her to burst into giggles. "Why you!" she exclaimed as she returned the favor with Goofy and Xiao joining in. It quickly degenerated into a pile of kids in an all-out tickle war. The Doorknob grumped "What's all the racket? I'm trying to sleep! Yawn…" as he yawned a keyhole appeared in its mouth. The Keyblade abruptly jumped into Ryoga's hands and yanked her to her feet before sealing the Keyhole. The lingering traces of darkness dissipated as the Light began to return to Wonderland. "Three down and Kami-sama knows how many more to go…" she said, but still couldn't help feeling happy as they went back to the entrance to the world. They stood at the bottom of the hole and took each others hands. "We're all in this together. Let's show the guys responsible just how big a mistake they made!" she got an enthusiastic chorus of "Yeah!" before being sucked up and out of the hole.

End Chapter 5


	7. A Different Side Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. I sound like a broken record don't I? Maybe I need to be fixed...er… never mind.

Author's Note: Thank you all my loyal readers for your suggestions. Also forgive me, I forgot the name of the Breaking Point. Thank you Baron for your critique. This chapter is once again dedicated to all of you. By the way, I hope you can guess the mystery references in some places.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 6

Space can be lonely at times. The quiet and tranquility tugging at your soul at other times. When your traveling in what feels like a floating mental ward, however, you long for quiet. "Whaddya mean we're lost!?" Goofy screamed at Donald. "Give me the map!" he yanked the map out of Donald's hands as the sailor-suited boy mumbled over it. Goofy did an impressive impression of an owl as he blinked at the map. It looked like something off a child's placemat from a restaurant. Wait a minute, it said Denny's!? Goofy groaned. Ryoga and Xiao just traded a glance. "Okay, since we don't have a real map, we must rely on chance." Came from Donald. Ryoga looked visibly alarmed at this "How do we use chance?" the confused neo-girl stammered. "Okay, we take Xiao and turn her around three times with her eyes closed and head in whatever direction she's pointing." The others stared at each other. This was his brilliant plan? "You're out of your mind! It'll never work!" was the most heard opinion. Donald cut them off "Have you got a better idea?" and nodded in satisfaction at their wary headshakes. They really didn't have a better idea so they had Xiao stand up, Ryoga using her bandanna as a blindfold, and spun her around. Xiao let out a strained little "urp" sound as the tuna sandwich she had earlier decided to visit and pointed over Ryoga's shoulder. "That's it then! On we go!" Donald cried, and without waiting for them to be seated, blast off in the direction indicated.

Apparently Donald's idea worked. He was so pleased with himself that when Xiao yakked on his shoes after the landing, he didn't mind, much. "Argh.. gross…" he tried to shake the worst off and belatedly realized that everyone was heading through the gate. Donald followed after, his shoes squelching unpleasantly. Ryoga was grinning "We're back in Traverse Town! I'm sure we can get some help here." Goofy was looking at Donald with something close to awe. Not because he was impressed with Donald's skill, but because such a stupid idea actually worked. Xiao was visibly distressed and clutching her stomach as it gurgled menacingly. Ryoga threw an arm around her shoulders "C'mon, there's the Item Shop. Let's see if they got Pepto." Goofy drew Donald aside as the two girls walked away. "You better see about a new pair of shoes. Try boots this time, k?" the sailor-suited boy grumbled, he had a point. Donald wandered off in the direction of the shoe store while Goofy decided to go to the Synthesis Shop. He noticed that Xiao left her bag with her pole strapped to the side. He frowned when he noticed that it looked dented and warped. "Can't have that, can we?" as he shouldered her pack and headed off.

Xiao was definitely an unhappy kitty as Ryoga lead her along. Donald's flights were bad enough, but the spinning really killed her. A few times, she grabbed her mouth, but her stomach would settle shortly afterward. Yeah, she was an unhappy kitty. The neo-girl kept looking to her friend with concern. Xiao's normally so cheerful and upbeat, but she looks terrible. The Item Shop's doors were a welcome sight as they walked inside. Three little boys dressed in red, green, and blue were standing around the counter. "Excuse me, d'ya got any Pepto?" Ryoga asked. The three boys took on comical expressions. The green one had his hat on backwards and stared at them. The red one had his hat attached to his belt and was sizing them up. The blue one had his hat on straight and was peering at them in pleasant anticipation. "I'm Huey." Red said "and this is Dewey" pointing to green "and that's Luey" pointing to blue. "We run this shop." He puffed out his chest proudly. Xiao "urked" and nearly lost it on their floor. The three brothers exchanged wary looks. "Perhaps we should help with their problem first and save the introductions?" Luey said. "First one of ya to talk sensible." Ryoga grumbled as blue hunted along the shelves, "Ah! Here it is!" he produced a bottle of pink liquid that read "Pepto Bismol. We now come in catnip!" Xiao blinked at it and upended the bottle. Ryoga tried to slow her down, but it was useless. Her face cleared "Ahh… That's **much** better!" the neo-girl smiled "Good. So, what's the damage?" she opened her money pouch. It was filled with little yellow and blue balls from the monsters they killed. "20 Munny." Luey said as he rang it up. Dewey blinked in confusion, but came to a decision. He passed a few more bottles across. "Might come in handy." He said quietly. Ryoga decided to listen to the kid. He may be like Goofy, only pretending to be slow sometimes. She also bought several bottles of Potion and Ether. Xiao was in deep conversation with Huey and didn't stop until they were leaving. "What was that about?" Ryoga asked as she situated her backpack. "I was asking about places to eat! Let's try Ucchan's!" the startled neo-girl marveled at her before a grin split her face. Ukyou would sure be surprised…

Donald was unhappy. He liked his shoes, but that damn neko-girl slimed them. If he was being honest with himself, it was his fault, but this was Donald. It was her fault. The clothing shop was just ahead and he felt a flash on unease as he got closer. The nameless dread stalked him mercilessly as he got closer to the bright lights of the shop. As he passed through the door, the bell rang and he jumped almost a foot off the ground. The clerk was cute, but a little young for him. Besides, Daisy would kill him over **that** thought. He never knew where she got that mallet… Back to reality or what passes for it, he sighed. "Hello! Welcome to my humble little shop! Oh you're so cuuute!" he winced visibly as he actually felt the word stretch. She was fussing over him and pushing towards the dressing room. "Come on! We have so much time and so little to do! Wait, reverse that! Wahahahahahaha!!!!" her laughter rang out frighteningly. Donald prayed for a swift and painless end. Sometime later, he bolted out the door, finally safe from the Queen of Cute. He wanted to call him "Antoine" of all things! He panted heavily, but was pleased. With a little manipulation, he got the boots he was after. They were hard blue with black underneath and black laces. Guaranteed to withstand anything short of the apocalypse or his money back. He did have to compromise on the other hand as he jammed his hat down over his suddenly spikey hairdo…

Goofy was the only happy one of the group, he reflected. The rest were so worried about things that would eventually be solved or solve themselves. That was what made people think h didn't care. He cared, just not to the extreme others did. He was striding along, Xiao's worn out backpack bouncing along his back, and whistling a happy tune. He knew Traverse Town was full of nice people. He also knew he could handle himself should things get hairy. Standing outside the Moogle Synthesis Shop, he reflected once again, on how good things are. Upon entering, several small, white bear-like creatures broke off what they were doing with a startled "Kupo!?" at the visitor. The lead one, slightly larger then the rest, looked over at him. "Hey Goofster! What's happenin'?" he shouted over the noise. Goofy just strode up to him "Nothin' much, Mog. How ya been?" he said to the Moogle. "Good. I take it small talk isn't what brought ya here." He stated matter-of-factly as Goofy rubbed the back of his neck. "Ya got me there. I need a few jobs done and I need 'em ASAP." Mog noted the tense expression. "That bad, huh?" he said quietly. Goofy nodded "They're my friends and they need somethin' special." He placed Xiao's pole, Donald's rod, and his own shield out to the Moogle. "Hmmm…Special job, eh? What are the materials, 'sides these?" he asked. Goofy began pulling things out of various places, strange crystals and odd bits of metal, coming out of nowhere. Mog grinned at his friend "Wow! I don't often get good stuff to work with! How much ya willin' to pay?" he asked. Goofy said quietly "Anything that's left over from this is yours. Don't cheat me, please." Mog was getting ready to object with a laugh when he saw Goofy's expression. He merely nodded wordlessly as they clasped hands. "Ok. Come back in an hour." He grinned. The shop's motto was "Under an hour or the Synth's free!" Goofy grinned, suddenly all smiles again as he went down the ladder to the couch in the Accessory Shop. "Wake me when it's done." Was all he said. Mog contemplated the job he had to do as he pulled out a strange box with a weird seal. He tapped it thoughtfully and opened the box to reveal a beautiful white gem. Goofy gave him all manner of synthesis item and even brought rare materials when he came. "So I contribute the power of Gale." He whispered as he began. The hour passed too quickly for Goofy as a tiny Moogle, the tiniest he's ever seen, woke him up. "Puu.. I mean.. It's ready now, sir!" the little one chirped. Goofy guessed it must be a child and thanked him before heading up the ladder again. Mog was standing in his customary corner with a sheet over the table. Goofy was expecting a grand unveiling and wasn't disappointed. With a flourish, he whipped the sheet off and revealed the beauty beneath. Goofy's eyes were drawn to his shield as he picked it up. It was a good three feet across, but impossibly light. It had silver around the rim and black in the center. Inlaid over the black was gold latticework with a large Power Gem in the center. It glowed red with power. "That I call Aegis. It provides superior offense and defense as opposed to ordinary shields. Since you like throwing yours, it's also light. Guaranteed not to break." His furry lip twitched into a grin at Goofy's delight. "As for the rest… This is some of my best work." He indicated the rod first. It was a good four feet long and had a crescent moon at the top with a glittering Spirit Gem. Goofy picked up the rod reverently. "That I call Lunaris. Boasts considerable magical power as well as being a decent weapon." Goofy slipped it into his sub-space before turning his attention to the last weapon. It was absolutely magnificent. The weapon was a sword with a five-foot blade. The blade was single edged and curved, the hilt had a strange stone set in the pommel. The blade itself gleamed like snow-fire. It was a glittering white. "Wh-what is this…?" Goofy asked in wonder as he picked up the sword. "That is Chijikimori. A weapon of strength and grace. Its beauty dazzles the foe and leaves them in pieces. That pole you left was of a rare mineral, Adamantite. It was so full of impurities that it was easily damaged. Now it would withstand any force put upon it." His craftsman's pride was evident as he lovingly gazed at the weapons. Goofy bowed to him as he stowed the sword and provided sheath. His grin was like the sun coming up. "You never cease to amaze me, Mog. I'll see you around." With a parting wave, he went out the door. Never realizing that everything he brought had gone into the making of the weapons.

Food is a necessity of life. The way that Ryoga and Xiao were eating made it seem as if they hadn't seen food in years. Ukyou giggled at their antics as they freely ate off each other's plates and traded comments back and forth. "Hmm peanut butter on okonomiyaki? I'll try anything once!" "Pass me some of that sardine and cheese one there!" "You have got to try this cheeseburger one…" Ukyou was laughing so hard she didn't notice when the man walked in. He was a big one, she thought, and rough looking too. He had a strange tattoo on his arm that trailed off under his muscle shirt. He looked down at her behind his shades "I'm new to the area." Even his voice rumbled frighteningly. "Are you the owner here?" Ukyou nodded briskly. "Uh..huh…" she whispered out, feeling tiny. "A lil' girl like yerself needs protection. Let's start with 2000 Munny per week and I'll make sure no..accidents…happen." he leered at her. Her visible fear was a treat. Ryoga was watching since the guy entered with narrowed eyes. This guy would be no pushover in a fight, but to her, he was a chump that was puttin' the squeeze on his pal. Xiao's ears were perked forward and a warning hiss escaped her lips as they parted to reveal a snarl. The man seemed to finally take notice of them. "Yeah? Got a problem?" he said disdainfully. Ryoga's hair was practically bristling, the neo-girl was ready to rumble. The neko-girl was snarling with rage. "No one talks to my pal like that you dumb jerk." The neo-girl said as she leaped out of the booth while Xiao leaped onto the table, crouched menacingly. He just grinned and motioned them onward. "Up high." Ryoga muttered. "Down low." Xiao responded. He braced for impact as he heard them, but them they yelled "Too slow!" and took off in the opposite directions of what they said. Ryoga went in for a low sweep kick as Xiao went in for a ferocious lunge like a certain leopard. The man was startled but hardly defenseless as he backflipped over Ryoga's sweep and ducked under Xiao's lunge. The two girls stared in shock as the man pulled his shirt off, revealing a massive tattoo done in black. The designs were something out of a nightmare. While they couldn't make out pictures, they could make out intent. "This'll be a good lesson for yer friend." He sneered as he charged "Yah!" he shouted. Xiao shook herself out of her shock and leaped upward. She looked at Ryoga who just had a confident smirk on her face. "Ryoga!" she cried, but the neo-girl just laughed. "Breaking Point!" and jammed her fingers into the ground, causing a massive rift to form under the man's feet. "What the hell!?" he exclaimed as he was suddenly off balance. It all happened so fast. Xiao was still in the air and decided it was time to come back down. She twisted into a somersault before delivering a double-kick to the man's face. He cried out as blood spurted from his nose. "This is for threatening Ucchan!" Ryoga howled as she grabbed his leg and proceeded to spin. "Wind God Spinning Assault!" she cried as she flung him with all her might, letting centrifugal force and strength hurl him away. He hit the wall in the Second District with a bone-jarring crunch. Xiao and Ryoga both just looked at each other in shock before going back to eating.

Donald was mulling over the Gummy Block that they found. One they got from Deep Jungle, the other was received after they left the rabbit hole in Wonder Land. He decided to see Cid in the Accessory Shop. Rumor was that Cid is a great pilot and master of Gummy Ships. If anyone would know, then he would. The bell rang and Cid turned to the door to find an unfamiliar boy in a blue sailor suit covered in zippers walk up to his counter. "Can I help ya?" he asked. Donald nodded "Yeah, I need to know what these are." He showed the small Gummies to Cid. "What!? You've never seen a Navigation Gummy before!? Pinheads, interspace ain't no playground!" he shouted. Donald glared at him "Well sorry fer not knowin' what the hell it is. Ya coulda told me without screamin' at me!" he erupted back. Cid looked sheepish, but still the angry red remained "Eh sorry, fine. Need it installed?" he asked by way of apology. Donald nodded "Yeah I do." Cid nodded "Alright, but I need somethin' done first. I need this book taken to the Third District, a wizard dropped it off here and I tried to fix it… However, some of the pages are missing. After that, come to the small house in the Third District and I'll install the Gummy." The sailor-suited boy sighed. This was becoming involved. "Okay, I'll do it." He took the book "The place he lives at has a flame symbol on the door." Donald nodded and walked outside, bumping into Goofy. "Wah! Oh, its just you. C'mon Goofy." The two fell into step as Donald explained everything.

Back at the ranch..er…Ucchan's, the two vacuum cleaners were on their eighth one apiece. They told Ucchan about everything that has happened. She listened, idly fondling Xiao's ears and eliciting purrs of delight. Xiao would never admit it, but she was something of a lap cat. The door to the shop opened and all three girls tensed, before seeing it was just Donald and Goofy. Xiao blushed in embarrassment when she saw Donald's knew boots. "Hey guys! S'up?" Ryoga asked. "We got a job to do. Hey, wanna help Ukyou?" Donald asked. They all blinked. Donald willingly asking for help? This needed watching. Ukyou just shook her head "I need to keep my shop running. Thanks for asking though. I'll see you guys before you leave, right?" she asked hopefully. The four nodded at her as they walked out the door with Donald explaining what they were to do. "Okay, sounds simple enough. Oh, Goofy! Ya got my bag! Can I have it back please?" Goofy grinned and handed back her pack. "Oh yeah, ya may want yer pole back." He said as he passed the sword over to her. She blinked in confusion at it. As she drew the blade, a gasp of delight escaped her lips. "Wow! It's beautiful! For me?" she asked hopefully as Goofy nodded. "It's called Chijikimori." He said. She gave it a few swings before sheathing it again. Goofy handed Donald the new rod. "That is Lunaris." He was clearly enjoying this. Donald was just as thrilled as Xiao. Ryoga looked to Goofy expectantly "I didn't forget about you." He passed Ryoga a funny chain with a little picture frame on the end. "It shows the person you hold in your heart." Goofy smiled as he saw the neo-girl gleefully check the frame. Ryoga's face fell slightly as the frame filled in. It showed Shampoo. "It's a great gift, Goofy. Thanks." The goggle-headed boy knew she meant it. They continued on to the Third District in silence.

The door with the flame symbol had no doorknob, not even a keyhole. If Donald hadn't gotten annoyed and fire blasted it, then they'd still be puzzling out the door. The way across was a fun hop, skip, and jump to the other side. Xiao actually slipped off one of the platforms into the water. If she wasn't so ticked, it would've been cute. Her hair was dripping into her face and her ears were drooping. She was so angry that steam was actually coming from her hair. After helping her out, they went in through the broken wall that was covered with a sheet. The room beyond was empty. It was made of stone and round. As everyone began searching for clues as to the owner's whereabouts, Ryoga caught a flash of movement. The neo-girl's breath caught in her throat at who was before her. It was Shampoo! "I remember this place. It's like the secret place under the tree… You'd always end up there after being beaten by Ranma or stung by Akane…and I'd comfort you…"she sighed and looked at her feet. "Shampoo?" she whispered to the purple-haired girl. "Ryoga?" Goofy called. She turned her back for a second, but when she turned back, Shampoo was gone. "Hmm..yeah?" she asked distractedly. "It looks like no one has been here." Donald reported. "Oh my! Visitors!" they all turned quickly to the door as an old man in blue robes and hat entered. Despite his age, he was tall and unbowed. He struck quite a figure! "I had predicted you would arrive, but not quite this soon!" he smiled with fatherly affection. He set his bag down and opened it. "Just let me unpack and we'll get started." They all shared a glance. He seemed nice enough, but now he seemed crazy. He began waving his wand and murmuring over the bag before bursting out into a louder chant. The bag seemed to swell and expand before it disgorged its contents. The furniture that emerged looked tiny, but as it danced and twirled, it grew bigger. They watched in wonder as the room took shape into a very cozy little study. He gestured for them to sit. Donald and Goofy sat in chairs while Ryoga and Xiao sat on the bed. "So, what brings you here?" he asked patiently. Donald passed him the book. "Ah thank you! It's really not mine, you see. I found it in my bag one day. It seemed such a curious find that I had Cid repair it for me. Are there any other questions?" he peered about expectantly. Ryoga raised her hand "Ah…hai! I have a question. Why can't I change back into a boy?" at the curious look, Ryoga launched into the whole explanation. "Ah of course… Jusenkyo. That explains everything. The Chiisuiffon locks curses. Though judging by the chaos in your life, the spell may have eroded on its own. Since it seems not to, then the only answer is you don't want to change back. The human will is a strong thing." He explained. Ryoga wanted to scream about why would he want to be a weak, little girl!? Then she paused. Girls certainly weren't weak! Take Xiao for instance, or Shampoo. Even Akane wasn't a slouch at fighting, so she realized her bias was stupid. Still, she didn't want to be a girl! She wanted to be a man! Her thoughts were a jumble, then Xiao touched her shoulder. Her thoughts cleared. Maybe there was something to what Merlin said. While she was a girl, it was easier to stay connected to Shampoo. Shampoo was the reason she became a girl in the first place, though indirectly. Suddenly the neo-girl grinned. "Okay, its my fault, sure, but I don't hafta like it." The others stared at her after her outburst except Merlin who burst into laughter. "Well put! Well, since you obviously have a quest to accomplish, it's time to cut this short." They all nodded and stood up. Ryoga smiled at Merlin as they left before ducking out after her friends. "Things will definitely be interesting for them." He mused as he sat back with a cup of tea. He seemed only mildly startled when the little cup spoke "His mustache tickles mommy!" he shook himself and continued pondering.

Why is it that it always gets worse before it gets better? Why is it that when things are going good they gotta go bad? Ryoga was never a philosopher, but she was contemplating these questions when she saw something ripple in the air before them. They had just left the wizard's and were in the middle of the Third District when it appeared. The rift was dark and growing darker. "Get ready everyone!" Ryoga shouted as she pulled out the Keyblade. Everyone armed his or her weapons in readiness. What they didn't expect was a small, red-haired bundle tumble out and hit the ground. The figure lay very still, only occasionally groaning softly. Before they could rush over another form leaped out from the portal and melded with the ground. "Damn! It was so fast!" Xiao exclaimed. What held Ryoga's attention however was a certain pig-tailed boy that stepped calmly through the portal. His outfit was changed, it was molded to him and looked strangely organic. He grinned at the fallen form "My weakness…" he whispered and kicked the still form, hard. The neo-girl watched in horror as the shape rolled over and resolved itself into a young girl, her red hair in a pool around her, like blood. "Whaddya mean 'weakness'?" the Lost Girl shouted. "My emotions of course. Someone explained it all to me. In order to be the best, I need to cast off the chains that bind me. Such as emotion. Look at her. She's pathetic." He spat on the whimpering girl. "I suggest a game, Ryoga-**chan**." A strange Heartless appeared. It looked like a Shadow except it was taller and much more agile in appearance. It had sprung up from the ground and seized the girl's crying form. Ryoga snarled in fury. "If you can catch him before he turns her, then she's yours. Sweet deal, eh? I figured since I took your bitch, I should give you something else to play with." He laughed disturbingly. As he lunged forward, he heard the others call after him in alarm. Before he could reign himself in, a wall had gone up between them. "What the hell!?" she exclaimed. Ranma laughed "They can play with Pops and Akane for awhile. You have a hunt to complete. Save one to save them all. Hurry up!" he laughed that same soul-jarring laugh again before vanishing. His chi was way out of whack. Ryoga was beginning to have suspicions, but there was something else to worry about. "Get back here!" she cried as she gave chase to the fleeing Heartless.

Shortly after being cut off from Ryoga, they were further divided. Xiao found herself staring at a blank wall that resisted every effort to pierce it. She growled in frustration before hearing mocking laughter. "Well, I get a new kitty to play with, huh?" the neko-girl cringed at hearing **that** voice. It was Akane, the Bitch Queen, and playmate to the animals. She reminded Xiao of a cartoon she watched once called "Tiny Toons". "I don't like to play with someone below my own intellect." She said contemptuously to the leather queen. Akane drew a huge war hammer from her back, spikes jutting out from each end. "Aw.. My lil' kitty needs housebreaking. I just hope there'll be enough left after I'm done!" she laughed hideously before seemingly vanishing, Xiao's superior instincts kicked in and she dodged quickly to the side. The hammer smashed into the ground, creating an impact crater. The look of sadistic glee on her face turned to shock as Xiao kicked her in the back and hurled her into a wall with a crunch. Xiao remained crouched, she held her sword out, still sheathed. Akane stood up straight again with an angry growl. The neko-girl just smiled sweetly. She was gratified to see Akane get angrier. She knew that the angrier her opponent became the less control she had. She experienced sudden shock as a foot nailed her in the gut, Akane's cruel grin inches from her face. "I love this. You're so cute." The hammer girl said before kissing her nose. Xiao flinched violently, her eyes glowing a malevolently. "You… kawaiicune…hentai…PERVERT!!!!" she roared in anger before striking Akane repeatedly with her sheathed sword. The weapon glowing yellow as she howled out "IAI BLOW!" repeatedly. When she was done, her hair was standing out from her head, and she was panting like a steam engine. She still held the sword in a tight grip. Akane was trying to pull herself weakly from the crater her battered body made. "Aiyee…" was all she could say, her beaten form smoking. Ranma hadn't really left, he wanted to watch. The scene below him was disturbing to say the least. Even he couldn't sneer at that. "That **had** to hurt…" he muttered before looking to the other fight.

At the cry of "Pervert", Donald and Goofy shared a glance. Words were unnecessary, they knew Xiao was fine. Another figure was in there with them, now **that** worried them. He was as Ryoga had described. "We can talk about this, right Genma?" Donald said hopefully. Goofy merely readied his shield for battle. Genma laughed "Don't be scared. This won't hurt…me." He roared as all hell broke loose. He blew through Goofy as if he was paper and hurled Donald into the wall with stunning force. Donald slid to the ground dazedly while Goofy stood up again. Donald's eyes were half-lidded and staring blindly. He was dimly aware of Goofy's aura flaring out from him violently before being tightly controlled. The Knight grinned "Let's do it." The Master of the Anything Goes Style just blinked as this foolish boy suddenly swelled with potential. The Anything Goes Style relied on snap decisions and instincts, so he trusted to instinct and attacked. Goofy repelled the first attack, a front snap kick, with a wave of his shield before returning a punishing shield punch that Genma easily dodged. Goofy had a feeling, a bad feeling. This guy was holding back. Goofy decided he had to get him in position to end it. Donald watched helplessly as the battle continued, Goofy's aura diminishing visibly after each power attack while Genma's aura hadn't shown at all. Donald found himself gripped in sudden panic as the tide of battle changed. "Please…what can I do to help?" he asked silently. He prayed for someone to tell him what to do. Goofy was losing. He was taking more and more time to get up from each successive attack. Genma was clearly enjoying this. Donald's fear rose several more notches as Goofy coughed blood weakly and slumped to the ground. "You fought well, but I have been empowered to destroy you. Good bye." He brought his paw up, the claws elongating into three-foot swords. "No!!!!" Donald cried, letting his anger, his panic, his sorrow, grant him power. A greater power welled up inside him, the power to protect. Genma stared uncomprehendingly at the suddenly glowing youth. His blue aura was raging and merciless like the ocean, his eyes were solid blue. "This ends now, Genma." His voice was soft, but that made it even more terrifying. Genma seemed to shake himself out of his stupor "C'mon punk. Let's see whatcha got." He hurtled at Donald with blinding speed before.. "Stop." The soft command froze every one of the monstrous panda's muscles. Donald seemed to grow in stature, but it was just his aura growing. The rampant aura shaped into wings. Donald cried "Angel Wing!" and Genma's world exploded in pain as spell upon spell ripped through his defenses. Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga formed a deadly trinity of elements that kept up a relentless assault. "No! What is this power! Wh-what is this light…!?" the final spell struck him. The white energy enveloped him and assaulted the darkness consuming him. When he fell to the ground, an ordinary looking man in a white gi is all that remained. Donald couldn't even smile or take credit, he was too busy passing out. If they had looked up they would have seen Ranma searching frantically for something. He wasn't searching for Ryoga though, he was looking for something to bang his head against.

This Heartless was fast. She hated to admit but she was getting nowhere by chasing it. Every so often, it would appear out of nowhere and flip her a rude gesture or a smirk. Ryoga was getting rather depressed over the whole thing. She wanted to save the girl because she might hold a clue to what happened to Ranma. The neo-girl felt something was wrong. If she was right, that wasn't Ranma. What makes her think that? A million little things. The big one, Ranma acting just like the jerk Ryoga envisioned him to bed and Ryoga was right…then something was wrong. That train of thought was even more depressing. "I'll never save her…I can't save any of them…It's your fault…" she was chanting a mantra of sadness. The Heartless picked the wrong moment to appear. "It's all your fault!!! Shi Shi Hokodan!" she whipped the Keyblade forward, joining her chi with the power of the Keyblade, and unleashed a devastating ball of heavy ki. The ball exploded into a burst of small balls that homed in on and hammered the Heartless. It shrieked as it was consumed by a black depression, a darkness greater then itself. The red-haired girl dropped to the ground. Ryoga just blinked in confusion.

The walls dropped from around Xiao and the others. Donald and Goofy were standing over a fallen man with sorrowful expressions. Xiao jogged over to them. "Akane got away again, Ranma dropped in and carried her off so…" she trailed off as she noticed their faces. "What happened?" she asked. Donald sighed and shook his head. "Donald and I fought Genma. When it looked like I was gonna die, Donald killed Genma to save me." Goofy said. Xiao looked back and blinked. Before they could stop her, she was crouched next to him, sniffing. "H-he's not dead! He's alive!" she exclaimed, two heads shot up hopefully. "He's just unconscious!" they all joined hands and cheered. "What's going on?" Ryoga called as she joined them, the girl was nestled in her arms. Her eyes were open and very blue. She was clutching to Ryoga like she was a lifeline. "This, is Ranko." The girl nodded, regarding them seriously. Ryoga explains all he knows about her, such as she's not as weepy as she seemed. When she'd gone to pick Ranko up, the startled neo-girl was treated to a string of expletives and violent waving that settled into this. "Yeah, I'm Ranko. That jerk claims that I'm his weakness. Idiot don't know nothin' about weakness." She pouted adorably. Ryoga looked at the gi-clad man. "Wait.. is that..?" she stammered. The answering smiles said it all. "We've got something to tell you too." Xiao began…

End Chapter 6

Author's Note: I like cliffhangers as long as they're not mid-fight. I try to keep the action as unbroken as I can. I just had to introduce Ranko. What fanfic is complete without her? Heh heh heh… Until next time, ja ne!


	8. A Different Side Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Accept no substitutions. This is quality fanfiction! Mwa ha ha ha

Author's Notes: This is going to be the second time I've typed up this chapter. The first one was consumed by the dreaded computer crash. Regardless, I shall never give up. Thank you for reading. On with the show!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 7

Excerpt from Ryoga's Journal

This stupid journal idea all started when Donald said that someone should record our journey for posterity. In retrospect, my danger sense should have kicked in and warned me about this. When they unanimously voted me to the post, I vigorously declined. I'm still stuck with it. Xiao also said that shorthand and bad grammar would not be tolerated because future generations should not believe that an illiterate wrote this. Xiao thought I could not spell or use big words. This is my chance to show them all that I have only been playing dumb! Yes, Xiao, I can use big words! I am literate! Okay, I'm rambling. I tend to do that. Well, time to satisfy my friends and get this stupid project over with. We had quite a shock a few weeks ago. Donald had accidentally purified Genma and now he's on our side! Another side effect of that battle is now we have Ranko as well! Who could ask for anything more? I really wish we could have creamed Ranma, but having these two is great. Genma divided us up according to skill level. Donald is good, but Genma said that Donald should focus more on his own area, Magic. On the other hand, he seemed incredibly pleased with Xiao, Goofy, and I. He really wanted to teach Xiao the Neko-ken, but we headed that off immediately. We did not need a berserk, uncontrollable neko-girl who was afraid of herself. The training he's been putting us through has been vigorous. The first day we were all limping around and moaning painfully for hours. Though while they rested, I got Ranko to train me as well. Who better to help me train to beat Ranma, then Ranma herself? She says I'm very close to learning the Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken, but I'm still slower then Ranma. It was even funnier when they tried to teach me the Umi-Sen-Ken and I already knew it. We're just working on my ability to use it in combat and for long periods. For a while, I wasn't the only one disappearing after training with Genma. I found out later that Xiao was studying swordplay with Leon and Goofy was studying ninjutsu with Yuffie. Donald was taking lessons in Magic from Merlin and poor Aerith felt left out. As a result, I'm learning recovery from her. I'm a sucker for a pretty girl I guess. The reason we've been having such a long break is because Cid is having fun with our ship. We tried to tell him we didn't need so many guns, but he believes we're going to fighting a Heartless armada. Don't argue, just go with it. Oh well, time for bed I guess. Good night, journal.

The neo-girl happily pushed herself away from the desk in her room. They all had rooms at the hotel for free, they were heroes after all. With a happy little sigh she curled up in her bed in her pajamas. The pajamas have kawaii little piglets on them. She liked them so much, she got another set for her male form. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." she never quite understood that phrase, but it was starting to make sense.

"Get up you lazy boy!" was the all too familiar roar of Genma Saotome, Master of the Anything Goes Style of Martial Arts, and soon to be soggy panda. "You jerk!" was the scream, followed by the punt, and followed by the splash. Genma growfed irritably up at the girl who stood with her arms crossed and was grinning at the panda. "Sneak attack!" was the cry and Ryoga found herself sitting next to the angry panda with Ranko's laughter above them. "Uh.. heh? Ryoga sweatdropped before the panda attacked.

Xiao sighed at the morning display "Idiots... It's not even 6 am." she grumbled as she got dressed. Ryoga took her to the clothing shop yesterday and she stocked up on Hello Kitty clothing. Her pink shirt screamed sugary sweetness and her hip huggers were red trimmed. She nearly made Azusa faint from the clashing, but the jeans were more comfortable. She turned to the window as she was putting her shirt on and saw Goofy. "Iknockedonthedoorbutyoudidn'tanswersoIgotworriedandcameinto checkonyousopleasedon' killmeohpleasegodIdidn'tmeanitIswear..." his panic turning it into one long sentence. She just shrugged and slid her shirt on. "That's sweet." she smiled. "Just don't do it again, k?" patting his cheek as she walked past with her backpack on her shoulder. Goofy was amazed "I live?" he asked before fainting from a nosebleed.

Today was the unveiling of the ship. Cid was wringing his hands in anticipation while the others were wringing their hands in worry. "Since you're all here. I would like to give you, your new ship!" and gestured towards the huge tarp which was being removed by what looked like chipmunks. The sight that beheld them caused their jaws to drop. Sleek came to mind, followed by beautiful, and followed by lethal. It was done all in black and looked wicked. It had guns upon guns, all cunningly hidden so as to not give the enemy any idea that they were armed. Donald summed it up best with "Sweet!" as he grabbed the keys and jumped aboard. Literally jumping into the cockpit and ignoring the ladder. The goodbyes were tearful and beautiful. Except in the case of Genma, who made Ryoga promise not to become a weak little girl and disgrace the school. Ryoga blinked as Genma was removed with a powerful flying kick to the head and replaced by Ranko. "I know you hate him, but try and save Ranma, please?" her blue eyes were so beautiful when they sparkled like that. The neo-girl nodded her head before joining her friends on the ship. "Blast off!" Donald cried as the doors opened, but before they could go a sign pointed down. "Huh!?" the sailor-suited boy exclaimed as the ship tumbled down and out from the planet and finally taking off towards adventure.

The speed was impressive and the fact they knew where they were going was even more impressive. The flight on the other hand was still boring. It was no surprise to see Xiao with a thicker crash helmet or squeal each time the ship lurched. Ryoga concluded that getting her on even a normal airplane would be impossible. Donald was having the time of his life as he gunned the ship to full speed. Their sleeker ship easily blew past any ships they encountered. Why fight when you can fly circles around them? Just when they were beginning to enjoy the monotony, the next world came into view. It appeared to be a desert world with a huge city on one side and a massive tiger's head shaped cave on the other. Xiao screamed "Brace for impact! Man the lifeboats! Women and neko-girls first!" yeah, she was okay. Donald's landing did nothing to ease her fears either. Somehow Donald managed to bury them point first in the sand. "How are we gonna get it out?" Goofy asked. Donald just looked perplexed. Ryoga looked at their stunned faces and sighed. She kicked the ship and popped it out of the sand. She was used to the sound of jaws dropping. "C'mon guys. We've got a job to do." before they'd gone three steps, the desert erupted to reveal a massive metal monstrosity. It loomed over them, huge curved swords were held in its hands. The head looked like a mechanized cobra and the body like some kind of beetle. "...They must really hate us." the neo-girl said softly. Everyone was stunned into immobility by the thing before them, until it attacked. They scattered in very direction, drawing weapons and readying spells. The only one not participating was Donald, who seemed to have disappeared. Every attack they used seemed to have no effect on it, but its attacks sure could affect them! Goofy tried using his Charge attack, but was easily hurled away like a rag doll. Ryoga unleashed the vertical Hiryuu Shoten Ha and watched in shock as it bounced off. Xiao was having about as much luck with her sword. She tried an attack Genma showed her "First Class Demon God Assault Blade!" and channeled it through her sword. Its head whipped back and it looked like it did the job, but it just smashed her away with the flat of its blade. Things were getting desperate and then it changed attack pattern. It became a spinning, killing, menace as it hurtled through the air trying to dismember them. Goofy was lying on top of Xiao to keep her from getting blown away by the powerful wind the machine was creating. "I gotta do something, but what? I know!" she sheathed the Keyblade and held her hands out. She charged Firaga into her left and Blizzaga into her right. She also powered up Mouko Takabisha and Shi Shi Hokodan respectively. "If this doesn't work... Gale Buster II!!" she cried as she spun, releasing the attack in a howling storm of power. Reds, blues, greens, and blacks, flared along the cyclone in brilliant spirals of energy. The metal creature flew right into the swirl of destruction and found itself flung into the ground violently with several pieces missing. Ryoga spun to a stop and collapsed tiredly. "W-we... did it..." she gasped happily. Her happiness turned to horror as it rose again before her, blazing with power. Goofy and Xiao unleashed their most powerful attacks, "Iai Blow" and a nameless blast from Goofy's shield, but it continued to stand. Just as they were losing hope, they heard a strange revving sound. Heads whipped around in shock as the Gummy Ship launched into the sky. "Is he leaving us!?" Xiao exclaimed. "No! He's coming back!" Goofy shouted just before they heard the ship's speaker "Try this on for size!" and the ships powerful guns emerged from their concealment. Thundaga-Gs and Ultima-Gs trained on the unstoppable machine. "See ya, bitch!" Donald screamed and laughed maniacally as he unloaded on the hapless bot. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was a single leg that fell over as they watched. When they all joined up again, Donald's face was flushed with excitement. "Sorry it took me so long, but I had to read how to operate the guns!" the friends all laughed in relief before continuing on to the city.

The city they entered was large to say the least. It looked like something out of Arabian Nights and Ryoga had the feeling it was. A place this big should be bustling with people too, but it's deserted. "Let's split up, gang." the neo-girl said before heading off towards the north end. Donald shrugged and headed off for the east end, with Xiao for backup. Goofy set off towards the west side. Unfriendly eyes watched from above. "It's simple, Jafar. I dealt with Aladdin as promised. The lamp seems to missing, but I heard it's it in the Cave of Wonders. You just have to kill Ryoga and her idiotic friends. They even made it easier by splitting up." Ranma said to the black robed man next to him. "What about Jasmine?" he said in a sibilant whisper reminiscent of snakes. "Don't worry about it. We got her at the same time we dealt with Aladdin. Just remember our deal." he said before vanishing without a trace. Jafar smiled wickedly as he contemplated what to do. Incanting briefly, shadows appeared and slipped off without a trace. "Too simple." he said and floated off into the desert.

Ryoga was beginning to think she wasn't going to find anything when she stumbled across a body. The person's eyes were wide and staring, blood was running down the wall from where she hit. The neo-girl's eyes closed briefly "How can they do this? This isn't you Ranma..." her eyes fluttered open again and took in the slaughter at the castle gates. As she turned to leave, a malevolent voice spoke "My Master orders your death. Let's see what you got." and before Ryoga's startled eyes the bodies began to rise as if held on invisible marionette strings. Their heads rolling on their shoulders, blood trickling down and forming pools beneath them. "Damn you to hell! When I catch you I will show you no mercy!" she swore as the zombie puppets rushed at her. The Keyblade wasn't doing as well as she thought it would. Every time a limb was severed, it would rise again to continue the assault. She tried every spell in her arsenal with no effect. They seemed to be impervious to Magic! She had to dodge their frenzied attacks with rolls, leaps, and even handstands. As she dodged another swipe, she noticed the sun glinting off something. It looked like a silk string! That's how it was being done huh? She began focusing her attacks on the strings holding them up and experienced satisfaction as they fell, never to rise again. "Not bad at all. You even seem to have some energy left. You're blood will taste delicious!" the voice turned into a strange insect-like sound. She was trying to sense it when she suddenly had to dodge a stream of spit that melted the ground where it hit. "Acid spit!? Watched a lot of 'Aliens' haven't ya?" she taunted, but knew she had to find her enemy or she would be worn down further. The only thing she could think of to do was the same thing that beat the chameleon and Genma. She closed her eyes and easily slipped into the mindset for the kata. As she did, she felt her opponent suddenly lunge at her. She felt her body fly skyward almost lazily, easily avoiding the incoming strike. Her eyes opened slowly to see her foe and was mildly curious to note it was a giant spider. The spider was staring about it in confusion before looking up. It snarled at her, but was only met with a disorienting angelic smile. She swung the Keyblade and missed by mere inches. "What the hell are you!?" the spider exclaimed in shock. It felt fear. Fear of this strange girl with the peaceful eyes and the god-like speed. "Mou, this won't do." she pouted slightly. She launched forward at the spider who barely dodged once again. "Hmm. You're not cooperating. Just stand still." the spider exploded "Stand still!? I ain't stupid!" the neo-girl began glowing a soft red. She suddenly thought of something that would help and smiled. That smile was creeping out the spider. It tried to jump away again, but it was too late. "Sonic Rush!" she cried and practically disappeared. The last thing the spider felt was the Keyblade enter its head and then nothing. Ryoga blinked her eyes a few times and returned to normal. "This has gone on long enough." she spat as she left through the door she came in.

Xiao didn't need danger sense to tell that something was wrong. Even Donald seemed more on edge that usual. "This is givin' me the creeps." he muttered softly. Xiao could only nod in agreement as they came to a huge space at the end of a long alleyway. There were boxes piled everywhere that seemed to be damp. It looked like they were damp with red paint until she felt something drop on her face. She wiped her face and discovered blood. Her gaze whipped upward and gasped in horror at the sight. It looked like a meat locker and the meat was people. They had hooks shoved through their bodies and through their eyes. Her mind reeled away from the sight. She looked to see how Donald was taking it. Unlike her horror, he was furious. His eyes were riveted on one of the people. It looked like a child. Xiao felt tears sting her eyes at the sight, but Donald only seemed to grow angrier. "Like my art? I say, you two seem to be a study in contrasts! You're sad and he's mad! How fascinating!" a man dressed in patches of red and black dropped from the sky. He was wearing a mask with half being a smile and half being a frown. He looked like a demented jester as he crouched there, peering at them curiously. "You did this!? You monster!" Xiao's sadness gave way to cold rage as she drew her sword. The blade cleared the sheath with a rasping hiss. "Ready to fight, huh? Pah! I hate this part... Let's just skip to the begging and pleading, shall we?" the mad jester inquired, but settled for dodging as Xiao's first lunge nearly left him beside himself. As she went past, he struck her hard in the back with his jester stick and flung her into the wall. Xiao rolled back to her feet easily with a hideous snarl. "Perhaps your friend is afraid. That certainly would explain why he's allowing you to find alone." the harlequin laughed fiendishly. Donald's eyes were flat and hard. His will was clenching inside him, his body generating a massive aura. The Fool seemed not to be paying attention. "He's not afraid and if you had any sense you'd flee now." the neko-girl stated coldly with the sword sheathed again, poised with her hand above the hilt. "Eh? What stance is that?" he was confused, but wouldn't allow her to attack. With mind-numbing speed he rushed at her. "Blizzaga-Ra!" the Fool tried to dodge, but too late as spears of ice rained down and pinned him in place. He wailed in pain as the sharp lances pierced his legs, his arms, and his stomach. His blood was spraying everywhere. "This stance is known as the battojutsu." the girl said, her eyes narrowed with hostility as she exploded into motion, her sword cleared the sheath and sliced through his head so fast there was a sonic boom. The wind blew and a sakura blossom fluttered to the ground at her feet. Donald absently thought "Drama Queen" as they walked away from the free flowing gore.

"If my luck holds out, there should be a life or death situation right about now." Goofy said as he walked into the bazaar area. He merely stepped to the side as a huge stone block dropped down from the sky with a boom. The Knight just sighed "Get creative or get lost." He heard something rattle just above him, narrowly avoiding the incoming object this time. It looked like a smaller version of the thing they fought outside. "Okay, that'll do it." was all he managed to say before it hurtled forward with blinding speed, knocking down the far wall and sending Goofy crashing through the building to the street behind it. Goofy was seriously glad that all of Mog's equipment is guaranteed to never break. The only one more surprised that he was still alive was the metal titan that hit him. Goofy capitalized on his confusion and fired a bolt of ki from his shield, staggering the titan, but barely hurting him. "You're gonna be a tough one, huh?" was all he said before beginning the fight in earnest. The titan tried to smash him with its powerful fists and swords, but Goofy was too quick to be hit so easily. A rapid clang-clang-clang-clang-clang sound echoed through the area like machine gun fire. The titan was staggering and stuttering under the barrage of sudden shield strikes. Goofy unleashed a last shield slam followed by a ki bolt before jumping back and surveying the damage. The titan held up under the assault admirably, raising its heavy swords and striking a ready pose. "This is looking worse and worse," the beleaguered Knight thought just before falling prey to its unstoppable charge. As he picked himself up from the rubble, he noticed he was in the remains of an alley. What he saw above him made his blood run cold. The sight that made Donald furious put Goofy into the same state. As the thing entered it looked to the kill zone and peered at the people dangling from the chains. It yanked one down, its chest opening into a grinder, and fed the body into it. Two seemingly glass tanks on its back begin spurting blood, the monster revving up as if empowered. Goofy saw none of that. All he saw was the desecration of the dead and the slaying of innocents. He stood up straighter with his aura burning bright. The titan swung its heavy fist, but was deflected by Goofy's shield. His aura collapsed into armor plating, his head encased in a jade green helmet with a cross on the visor. His armor was blazing with light and power. "This is the end for you. Burning Rave!" He roared and charged, the titan's swords were slapped away with no apparent effort. After a few attempts the swords were destroyed. His shield and fists unleashing bursts of power into the metal monster. It tried to stand up under the barrage but its armor fractured. With a final cry of "Ya!" Goofy rushed through the disintegrating titan and destroyed it. As the aura armor dissipated, he kicked at the metal that remained. "We could use this." he thought as he stowed it in subspace.

They met later at the entrance to the city. Their faces set in grim lines. "Nothing here. We should try that cave we saw from the Gummy Ship." Ryoga suggested. Donald was still furious, Xiao had her arms around him and tried to calm him. "We'll get 'em. You know we will." she soothed. Donald nodded "Fine. Let's go." he said and lead the way to the ship. Goofy just sighed and followed along. "Hi-ho it's off to work we go." he muttered.

The ship sped along the planet's surface. The Heartless kept popping out of the desert to stop them, but arguing with a spaceship set to kill is not very smart. As the ship landed, they noticed something was wrong with the cave. As they approached on foot, it appeared it was possessed by the power of darkness. How would they fight something like that? Xiao had an idea, however. "You wouldn't wanna attack a cute lil' girl like me, would you?" she said in a cute lil' voice, her hands clasped before her, with just the right quiver to her lip. The cave actually said "Aw" before sliding into its original position. With a toss of her hair, the neko-girl bounced down the stairs. After a startled glance, they followed after her.

The trip through the cave would have been a harrowing experience except for one thing. Xiao was having the time of her life. The traps would have been a problem if a certain neko-girl hadn't sliced through the traps with her razor-edged sword. The Heartless might have been a problem, but they met the same fate as the traps. They figured why argue about it? It gave them a chance to regain their energies. "I wish I had even half as much energy as she's got." Ryoga muttered as they heard her laugh gleefully and something **else** break. When they reached the Keyhole Chamber they found the one responsible for all the chaos. The black robed man stood tall and proud. His face was adorned with a black goatee and shifty eyes. He held in his hand a staff resembling a cobra. "Where is that damn lamp!?" he cursed and raged. A youth was frozen to the wall nearby, he showed all the signs of having his heart removed. At least he would live, if they could get his heart back. "You've got other things to worry about, punk." Ryoga said as she stepped into the light with her friends fanned out behind her. "Oh really? Well, I guess I will have to do this with my own hands. Come on, children. Let's play." and with a laugh, he fired a straight beam of pure fire at Ryoga, but found it blocked by Goofy. "You've made us **very** angry." she continued. Jafar hurled a storm of ice chunks at her but found them casually melted with Donald's Firaga. "Whatever you throw at us, we're gonna make you eat." she finished with a grin as Jafar launched at her with a swing of his staff and found it sliced in half by Xiao's sword. He backed up in fear. "What are you?" he whispered. "Pissed." was the reply as they all glowed brightly just before hammering him into oblivion.

Later

"The Keyhole's sealed and the world is peaceful again." Ryoga quipped bitterly. "I'm sure that when the Heartless are destroyed, everyone will return to normal." Xiao said. "Even the dead!?" the neo-girl screamed back. "I don't know, but we gotta have something to believe or we'll all go crazy." the neko-girl said with tears running down her cheeks. Ryoga didn't even say anything before drawing her in for a hug. Donald and Goofy wrapped their own arms around the two. Their thoughts the same "How much worse is this gonna get?"

End Chapter 7


	9. A Different Side Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Some events may be familiar and I hope some people get the references. Atlantica will not be seen tonight. We will be airing something different in its place. Sit back and enjoy the show.

Author's Notes: As always, I wish to thank you all for reading my story. I am doing my best to live up to the expectations that my reviewers have of me. This chapter will be a bit bigger because of my lack of updates. I also apologize for not knowing Ryoga's mother's name or his father's. Well, on with the show! Always remember to tip your waitress. No sir, not that way... (screams and crashes are heard nearby) Eh heh... Never mind

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 8

Excerpt from Ryoga's journal...

I remember thinking a long time ago that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. Now I think that those lemons should be hit with a baseball bat and mashed into a pulp. Agrabbah was the worst place we've been so far and I have the feeling it can only get worse. Right now we're back in Traverse Town for a much needed break. Since Genma's idea of relaxation is advanced martial arts training, I've been making myself scarce. Sure I spar with him in the morning and Ranko in the afternoon, but even I get tired of the endless training. I decided to take a walk along back alley in the Second District for a breather and to clear my head, but I didn't expect to see what I did. It was Shampoo. For a while I just stood there in shock and rubbed my eyes to make sure nothing was in them. When I opened them, I found myself staring at my own reflection in the water. I try to remain cheerful, but Ranko told me to be realistic. This journey may not be a short one and success is slim. She says I should take it one day at a time and that I should put the happy attitude away, it frightens her. Ranko's been wearing black lately. Black tank top, black vest, mesh undershirt, and black jeans with more chains then an S&M party. I think she's gone goth. Her style has diverged from Ranma's drastically. Oh well, I'm tired and this writing thing is boring. I'm going to bed. Good night, journal.

Yawning, Ryoga stood up and walked over to the bathroom. She did this when she first became a girl, but feels compelled to do it again. Her eyes found the eyes in the mirror and slowly moved downward. Her hands slowly traced over her arms before splaying her fingers and inspecting them. Her skin was soft, but she could feel the layer of dense muscle under the surface. The tiny, almost delicate hands concealed the power to crush rocks with little effort. Fingers played across her stomach, feeling her hard abs. She sighed as she felt all the differences and felt the depression wash over her. She could create a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan with the energy she was generating. When her eyes looked in the mirror, she gasped in shock. It was her eyes, but not her face. "Sh-Shampoo..." her trembling fingers met the mirror girl's, her throat constricting. "I'm trying so hard to find you. I wish you were here right now. I'd even stop this stupid battle if you were here, but I know you're not. So I'll keep searching. Ranma is the key to all this. I just wish you could hear me." the neo-girl half sobbed. It may have been a trick of the light, but it looked like the girl in the mirror smiled softly then vanished.

Ranko was wandering the hallway again. Ever since she suddenly found herself as her own person, sleep is hard. She keeps dreaming about things that she didn't do, seeing things she never saw. She felt like an alien in her own mind. Night was when the dark thoughts played. Her depression was soothed by Ryoga returning. Whenever the neo-girl is around, her infectious smile batters down her defenses and she smiles. "Don't ever change, Ryoga." she murmured softly. Upon walking past the aforementioned girl's door, she heard a soft sound from the other side. It sounded like she was crying. "Ryoga? What's wrong?" she called softly, but got no response. Ranko sighed, "This won't be pretty" the red-haired girl thought before walking into the room. Ryoga was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, sobbing quietly. Ranko's heart hurt to see the normally cheerful girl like this and sat down on the bed. "What's wrong, hun?" she whispered. Ryoga was unreachable, but Ranko could find no knowledge of what to do in a situation like this. After a lot of agonized thinking, she just went with what came naturally and pulled the girl in for a hug. The neo-girl stiffened slightly before throwing her arms around Ranko and sobbed into her shoulder. "Hush now...it's alright...I'm here so just cry..." her own eyes filled with tears as she rocked the girl back and forth. "This is what Ranma did." She thought bitterly. Ryoga was always a mess, but she seemed to be getting more cheerful. Is this what she was hiding? "I thought it wasn't a bad as it was, but I was wrong. I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Ryoga. You don't deserve this." Stroking the girl's hair and gently kissing her forehead. Her own unshed tears silently falling. Ryoga felt the light drops on her face and seemed to realize what was going on. Before she could think, she pulled away and sat a distance away. "I'm s-sorry… Really sorry… I didn't…" she tried to stammer an apology, but a finger to her lips silenced her. "Don't be sorry. You're obviously under stress and I doubt this has been easy on you. I'm wonderin' though, what happened?" Ranko asked. The girl across from her sighed, "I was remembering Shampoo. I swear I saw her face in the mirror and then I broke down." She brushed her hair away from her eyes in a curiously feminine gesture that Ranko didn't miss. Ryoga seemed to be fingering a strip of ribbon. "What's that?" the redhead asked. "Shampoo's ribbon. I even have her bonborri in my pack." Ranko got an idea "Hey, you're hair's starting to get long. How about I tie it in so you don't lose it." The neo-girl nodded her head slowly. "Okay." She even managed a wan smile. "I hope she'll be okay." Ranko thought as she set to work.

The morning dawned bright and clear… If Traverse Town had a sun or any weather to speak of. It was strange, really. The temperature was always in the seventies to eighties. Xiao didn't know why she was suddenly noticing the weather, but she was growing more nervous. Ukyou slid her an okonomiyaki. "Don't worry, she'll be here soon." The neko-girl just nodded listlessly. "You guys all seemed pretty down. Goofy took off to hang out with that Moogle and Donald found out his girlfriend was in town. Left you and Ryoga the odd girls out, huh?" Ukyou said as she placed another on the grill for a customer. Xiao's ears jumped at the last comment. "He has a **girlfriend**?" she asked in shock. The young chef nodded. "Yep, name's Daisy n' she's the sweetest girl on the planet." That struck Xiao as funny for some reason, but she refused to laugh. Nope, not her, no sir. "Bwahahahahaha!" the neko-girl erupted in laughter. Ukyou just shook her head. She was about to comment when the bell on the door chimed and in walked Ryoga with Ranko. That wasn't so unusual. What was unusual were the neo-girls' hairstyles. Ryoga had her hair done up in two ponytails, like miniature versions of Shampoo's own. Ranko had her hair down in a single braid with a ribbon tied at the end. They looked a bit flushed and were giggling like maniacs. Without a word, two more okonomiyaki were slid down to the two of them. The girls all moved over to a booth to continue the conversation. Since business was slow, Ukyou had time to kill. "What's up with the hair?" Xiao asked curiously. "Well, y'see, we were up talkin' and since there was nothin' to do… We did each other's hair." Ryoga flushed, but continued giggling. "It looks great. You too, Ranko." Ukyou said to the redhead, who also flushed. "But I'm wonderin', what's so funny?" the neo-girls looked at each other. "We saw some guys on our way over here and they had that tattooed guy with them." Ryoga started, but Ranko finished "The guy in front looks like an add for kitchen knives." Then the two collapsed in helpless laughter again. The young chef's eye twitched "They're coming to attack my shop **again**!?" she exploded. Xiao began wondering if her insurance included irate chefs then remembered, she had no insurance. "Let's go out and wait for them." Ukyou said as she got up and went into the back, coming out with a massive battle spatula and a bandolier of mini spatulas. The other girls looked at each other nervously as the chef tied a bandanna around her forehead that had the kanji for fury. They had to run to catch up as the war-chef stepped outside to do battle.

"Is this the place, Han?" a menacing, voice said from the depths of the metal helmet he wore. The outfit was vaguely samurai in design. Blades adorned the helmet, the shoulder pads, even the hand guards. It was silver with a black bodysuit underneath. The tattooed man "Han" nodded nervously. "Yes it is, Master Shredder." His posture clearly showed his fear of him. Other men stood around them in obviously gang attire, as well as men in black pajamas. Oh, sorry, ninjas. As the four girls rushed out to see what was up, they saw the situation immediately. "Who are these children?" Shredder demanded. "We're the ones who kicked that big guy's ass. If ya know what's good for ya, you'll run." Ryoga's voice was cold and menacing, her breath practically steaming in the air. The others were obviously ready. Ranko in the Anything Goes stance, Xiao in her leaping stance, and Ukyou gripping her spatula in a modified kendo stance. Han tried backing away from his master when he suddenly took an elbow to the stomach. "Fool! Weak little **girls** beat you! Regain your honor and destroy them!" he roared. The men surged into motion, yelling wild war cries, and attacked. Quicker then they ran up, however, they were sent back in the direction they came. All four girls had spun as one and struck the inept fighters, laying them out flat. The ninjas came next as well as Han. "Circle around!" Ryoga shouted as she leaped high to avoid a quick katana slash. Ranko dodged right as Xiao dodged left, fouling their opponents' attacks. Ukyou was the only one not moving as she whipped mini spatulas like shuriken at the ninjas, distracting them long enough for the batter bombs to hit. Ukyou finally jumped away as the other girls jumped the dazed ninjas from behind and flattened them. Ryoga spun to look at Shredder and stuck out her tongue while pulling her eyelid down. "Nyah." The samurai wannabe fumed "I am Shredder! Master of the Foot!" Ryoga blinked. "Is that a podiatrist group?" the enraged man roared at Han to kill them. Ryoga was hearing some very disturbing sounds from behind her. "Not that, please!" and "That doesn't bend like that!" then finally, "Mommy." Ryoga cringed. "Ooh.. that sounded nasty. So, think you can take us?" the girls lined up again, ready to fight. Shredder had just seen what happened to his subordinate and even he sweatdropped. "I will kill you and violate your corpses!" he howled. He failed to notice the battle auras swelling up around the girls. "Did he just say what I think he did?" Xiao asked with murder in her voice. The others nodded grimly. Ranko seemed to be shivering uncontrollably. "You are paralyzed with fear! This will be sweet! I won't damage you too much! Ha ha ha!" Ryoga was beginning to feel a powerful and familiar chi behind her. "Meow." Was heard and the neo-girl's blood turned to ice. "Oh. Shit." Was all she could say before Neko-Ranko vaulted over their heads in a blur of speed and double kicked Shredder in the chest, hurling him into the fountain. Ryoga did everything she could to back everyone up, but at Neko's look, stopped. "Don't move, don't be threatening, just be calm." The neo-girl whispered. "You will **die**!" the tin man shouted as he rushed at the changed girl. Almost playfully, Neko swatted Shredder across the common again. The kitty was growing bored. Her new plaything wasn't a lot of fun. Maybe he'd make a better chew toy? Nah, scratching post! "Miyah!" she cried and lunged, Ki claws extended, and sheared through Shredder's armor. If it hadn't been so powerful, he would've been Swiss cheese by now! Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, he tossed a smoke bomb and made his escape. Neko was coughing, she didn't like that one bit! Hmm? She looked around, sniffing the air. She saw potential playmates standing off to the side. Wait, that smell! Its Neko's friend! With a bunching leap, she tackled Ryoga in one smooth motion. "Meow!" she exclaimed happily with a smile. Ryoga was petrified, she was ready for anything. She closed her eyes, who really wants to see their end? She could feel something happening, felt Ranko shift around, and then felt a pressure on her face. Her lips to be exact, but it wasn't painful. Her eyes flew open to see Ranko laying on her, hands on her shoulders, and kissing her. The neo-girl's mind currently looked like this "System Error, System Error, Reboot!" Xiao and Ukyou were in shock over this development. "Uhm.. what's goin' on?" Xiao asked. "It's called the neko-ken. Normally when Ranma goes into it, he reverts when he goes to sleep or he finds his special friend he calms down." The stunned chef replied. Ryoga already knew all about it, but before she could think of any action, Ranko curled up and went to sleep, purring.

"The neko-ken sounds evil." Xiao shuddered at the story she was told. The other girls nodded. Ukyou had explained to the confused neko-girl all about it. Ryoga was currently grabbling with a slightly stranger problem; Ranko hadn't woken up yet and was wrapped around her like a python. "She looks so peaceful when she's asleep." the neo-girl thought as she held the redhead. "Well, I gotta get back to my shop. You guys should be alright now. I'll see ya later!" the young chef gave them each a quick hug before darting back the way they came. Xiao looked to Ryoga with a bemused expression at the tender scene in front of her and sighed. "Why do I have the feeling that this will turn strange really quick." she muttered as her and the neo-girl headed back to the hotel.

Genma was waiting for them when they got back. "There you are boy! Where ya been? Why's Ranko asleep?" he demanded. As the story was told again for the bald patriarch's benefit, Ranko began stirring in Ryoga's arms. When her eyes opened she realized two things. One, she was being held by Ryoga. Two, she found that she was really comfortable and settled down again with a small sigh. "You're awake?" Ryoga asked the sleepy redhead. Ranko just smiled a bit shyly. For some reason the warning bells began ringing in Ryoga's head and she quickly looked at Genma. The speculative look on his face was enough to tell her that something was up, and why was Xiao pouting like that? "This will surely insure the future of the Art!" Genma proclaimed "You will marry my daughter and combine the Saotome Ryu and... What's yours called again?" Genma asked. Confused, Ryoga said, "I don't know... its just stuff that I learned and turned into my style..." The panda nodded, "Then it is the Hibiki Ryu. Simple as that! Now about the engagement..." everyone's eyes bulged as it finally set in. The panda found himself back in the alley and soaking wet, blown out of the hotel by the combined shout of "ENGAGED!?" The wet and often abused elder Saotome wearily made his way back inside to look for hot water.

The next day was the day of departure. They wanted to stay longer, but with Genma talking about nothing except the engagement, the had to flee. To Ryoga's surprise, Ranko wanted to go as well. "If I don't get away from here, Pops'll keep at me about it until I say yes and I would say yes just to shut him up." Goofy and Donald exchanged a look that spoke volumes. "Well, okay. Welcome aboard!" the neo-girl seemed even happier this morning. "Now they had another ally to count on!" That was Ryoga's train of thought anyway. Xiao's was "More competition! Wait, that's not right. She likes Shampoo. Maybe Shampoo would share? That's not right either!" out loud "Argh!" everyone blinked as she suddenly bolted onto the ship. Ranko was thinking eerily along the same lines as Xiao. Donald said "Let's go, guys! Adventure awaits!" and Ryoga muttered "With a crash at the end..." someone laughed.

The ship was speeding along like a great speeding thing. Ryoga wanted to be more descriptive, but her mind was tumbling over the events of the last few weeks. She was also a little confused at Xiao and Ranko's behavior. They were seated on either side of her, each holding a hand. "Kami-sama grant me wisdom or at least a clue!" she prayed fervently. Donald and Goofy seemed to find the whole situation amusing to say the least. "So where to now, Donald?" the neo-girl asked. "There seems to be a world just ahead of us, but I can't see anything. Do you see it Goofy?" the goggle-headed boy just shook his head. "Nope, no sign of it." the girls tried seeing what was out there, but obviously couldn't. Ryoga was starting to think that Donald was losing it when she suddenly began to feel sleepy. Really sleepy. Before she could even say a word she was out like a light.

"A girl? Older girl. How cool! I have a playmate?" said a child's voice. Ryoga woke up blearily and looked towards the speaker. She appeared to be about six or seven with pink hair and was wearing a cute orange dress with a blue apron. On her feet was a strangely cute pair of combat boots with metal plates reinforcing them. How that could be cute, she had no idea, but the girl pulled it off. The area she awakened in appeared to be a forest clearing of some sort. "Oh! You're awake! Choko was worried!" the little girl exclaimed. "Unh... Hi. My name's Ryoga and who's Choko?" the neo-girl asked. "I am Choko silly. Nice to meet you Ryo-chan!" Ryoga winced at the "chan" but let it go. "Uh oh..." the child whispered. Ryoga's head whipped around in the direction she was indicating and jumped to her feet. The Keyblade was out and ready. Strange balls of living fire were coming through the trees. They looked like no Heartless she's seen before. "What are those things!?" Ryoga exclaimed. "Fire Elementals. Choko not like them. They burn my forest and threaten my friends." the pink-haired one's voice got hard. Something in that voice made Ryoga's blood run cold. "Let me handle this. I need to loosen up after my nap anyway! Hiyah!" the neo-girl lunged at flames and with powerful spinning attacks was hurling them back. The flames didn't seem to be hurt at all and began drawing together. Ryoga tried to stop them from combining, but failed as it became a giant behemoth of fire. It was roughly human shaped with curled horns coming from its head. "I shall destroy this accursed forest. You and your kind have imprisoned us here long enough. We must escape to complete our master's plan to destroy this world. Warrior, leave here now. This is not your fight!" the beast roared in a hideous voice that shook the leaves from the trees. Ryoga growled "I won't let you hurt anyone!" she summoned in all her ice power and infused it into her weapon. The Keyblade became a pure blade of ice, three crystals jutted out at the end to represent the teeth of the key. "Blizzaga Blade! Smash!" the creature let off a burst of flame, but missed as Ryoga jumped high and came down with a devastating blow to the being's head. It roared in pain as the ice seared it. "Pasha-Pasha!" a voice cried and a massive water ball slammed into the ifrit's chest and hurled it backward. Ryoga turned a startled look towards the girl "What was that!?" she exclaimed. Choko seemed to be radiating a white aura "I am Choko, Guardian of the Time Forest. I am to destroy all evil." she grated out. The harsh voice didn't match the cute face. Now Ryoga knew why she felt scared of her, this child held power she could only guess at. A powerful and angry roar erupted, forcing them to pay attention again. "Here it comes!" the neo-girl cried and bolted in with Sonic Rush while Choko struck with another Pasha-Pasha, this one even bigger then the first. The hole Ryoga created on the first pass was blown wide open by the following attack. The beast had only a second to scream before it exploded into darkness. "That was fun!" Choko cried and Ryoga sweatdropped.

Ryoga was starting to get that sinking feeling in her stomach. It was a familiar foe, the feeling of being lost. Her little guide, Choko, seemed completely unconcerned that they'd passed the same tree five times now. Every so often, the little girl would say "Just a little farther!" and Ryoga would nod wearily. Finally, they approached what looked like the gate to a small village. It only had a few houses and a quaint church at the end of the village. It was so nice and peaceful that Ryoga almost didn't notice when Choko tripped. "Whoops! That was only the barrier for Choko, I need to fix that soon." The child's habit of jumping from proper grammar to third person baby talk was starting to get on Ryoga's nerves. "Choko's house is over here! Come on!" she suddenly seized the older girl's hand and dragged her up to what appeared to be a small cottage. Without any warning, she found herself dragged inside and left standing in the living room. A large fireplace dominated the room. The floor appeared to made of oak with a small carpet in front of the fireplace. Everything seemed arranged around it and considering how cold it was getting, it made sense. "Daddy! I brought a friend home! Come and meet Ryo-chan!" the child's voice came from the kitchen as she half dragged a middle aged man into the room. His face was lined, but they were all smile lines. "Hello there. My name is Asura. I see you have met my daughter." His voice was filled with good humor. Ryoga instinctively wanted to run up and hug the man, but held herself back.

"My name is Ryoga Hibiki." She bowed to the man with respect. Asura seemed to stiffen slightly and Choko's mouth dropped open, but as the child tried to speak, her father's hand covered her mouth. "Pleased to meet you, Ryoga. Dinner will be ready shortly, I hope you have a big appetite!" he said as he went back into the kitchen. Once again, Ryoga's trouble sense kicked in. That thing was getting powerful and annoying, but it came in handy. "They're just a nice family. A father, a daughter, but where's the mother? Probably like mine…" she sighed sadly at the thought. All too soon, dinner was called and she went to eat.

As she lay in the guest bed, she squirmed happily. The food was good and the company was better. She knew she was asleep, but it was such a nice dream. Better then her usual ones. A sound startled her from the corner of the room and she turned to look quickly. There was Shampoo! "Shampoo? What's going on?" the neo-girl asked. Shampoo merely shook her head and beckoned her to follow. "This is weird" she thought as she followed Shampoo out of the cottage. She seemed to be following all the rules of physics, but this is a dream. The purple-haired girl led her through the forest, but seemed to going in a different direction than when she arrived earlier. Every time she began to doubt, Shampoo would turn around and wave her on again. Ryoga couldn't deny her anything and continued. When they finally arrived at their destination, it was a cemetery. "Why are we here?" she asked. Shampoo looked at her sadly before pointing at a beautiful angel made of marble. She walked up to it with a feeling of dread, the peace it was radiating wasn't breaking through her panic. When she looked at the nameplate, she gasped in shock. "Mariko Hibiki" was clearly etched in the metal. "M-mom!? What is this?" she turned to gape at Shampoo, tears were falling down the girl's face. "How? I was born on the island…" a sharp pain shot through her brain "…no. Not there…" another pain ripped through her mind "…I remember trees…" she found herself on her knees, hands pressed to her head. "I got lost for the first time when I was eight… What is this?" she could literally feel barriers breaking down in her mind. "This is what has been locked inside your heart for some time now. It was time that you knew the truth." Shampoo slipped up behind her and wrapped her arms around Ryoga's neck, pulling her into a soft embrace. "It's time Ryoga. Time to wake up. You must destroy the darkness in this forest of your heart." The hug ended and the neo-girl could feel Shampoo leaving the cemetery. "Ryo-chan. Time to grow up. I am the Guardian of the Time Forest, the Guardian of Your Heart. It's time we both grew up." Ryoga's head turned to see Choko standing there, a ghostly image of an older girl hovered behind her. Ryoga could only smile "Right, why should you have to do it alone?" the little girl squealed happily and gave Ryoga a big hug. As they hugged, she felt Choko disappearing and sliding into her. "Wake up, Ryoga! We're in trouble!" Xiao's voice cut through the dream like a knife. Ryoga found herself suddenly sitting bolt upright in her chair. The view outside was terrifying. It looked like a giant black dragon hovering outside the ship. Their guns had no affect. "Brace for impact!" Goofy yelled as the dragon slammed into the ship, slamming it into a small asteroid. A strange Heartless was perched on the great lizard's head. "That Heartless is controlling the dragon!" Ranko shouted. The ship began beeping ominously before falling silent. The engines suddenly died and they found themselves trapped. "Abandon ship!" Xiao yelled. They quickly got off the ship just as the dragon smashed the ship to pieces. The "Heartless" turned out to be Akane. "Well my little friends! What do you think of my new pet? Meet Bahamut, King of the Dragons!" Ryoga suddenly felt the pain roar through her head again. Donald, Goofy, Xiao, and Ranko engaged the dragon. Donald unleashed a powerful tri-beam attack or Fire, Ice, and Thunder, striking the monster in the head and narrowly missing Akane. "Nice shot, bitch! Dodge this! Countdown to Mega Flare!" she shrieked insanely. Bahamut began gathering red energy into his maw, his posture drawing in large amounts of magical energy. Goofy charged at the head, all power behind the attack, but was merely swatted away with his tail. Ranko drew her hands back, charging a powerful ball of confidence ki into her palms. "Mouko Takabisha Perfect!" and hurled the blue sphere at the controlling force and struck her dead on. Her smirk turned to shock as Akane continued to stand arrogantly. "A Dragon confers its power to the master. I am his Mistress and he obeys Me." Ranko visibly winced as she felt the words capitalize. Xiao used the bitch's distraction to strike at her with Iai Blow, but was speared by the spike at the end of Bahamut's tail. Ryoga's pain filled gaze locked onto Xiao just as Bahamut finished his countdown "5…4…3…2…1… Mega Flare!" and the world turned inside out in a red haze of pain.

She had no idea what awakened her. Her eyes opened slowly to take in her surroundings and saw with cold fear what happened to her friends. Their bodies were scattered about the area, singed and grievously injured. Xiao was the only one not hit the Mega Flare, but the spurting stomach wound was bad enough. "N-no… W-what happened? Why? AHHHH!" she screamed to the sky. Her scream was cut short by a sinister laugh. Her eyes snapped into focus on Akane. The bitch was still on the dragon, but that didn't matter. "Akane. I thought I could save you, but you obviously gave yourself over completely. For this, I will destroy you." Her hand clenched the hilt of the Keyblade, it glowed a deep, malevolent red that was almost black. A child's voice in her mind was heard "We must protect your Heart! We must grow up and grow stronger!" Ryoga realized that her Heart is her friends. Choko was right. Time to grow. Her eyes flashed deep crimson and her body exploded in crimson light "Limiter Removal! Trance!!" before suddenly flipping in the air with a wild shout of fury. Akane was stunned at the transformation. Ryoga had sprouted up several inches, her body taking on the appearance of a sixteen year old dressed in black leather with black armor overlapping. Her hair was turned a dark pink color that was at odds with the blood-like aura around her. The Keyblade had turned into a long, black metal shaft. Chains wrapped around the blade and the teeth of the key were sharp blades. Burned in red lettering was the word "Oblivion". Black angel wings had sprouted from her back and she was currently hovering just in front of them. "Y-you think th-that little trick w-will s-scare me!?" she shrieked with obvious fear. "Bahamut! Kill that bitch!" Bahamut powered up quickly, Ryoga made no attempt to dodge, and fired off Impulse. The blast ripped into her and the area around her filled with smoke. Akane's cry of triumph was cut short by the smoke exploding apart to reveal the dark angel. "You must pay for what you did. You hurt my friends! I will destroy you!" she cried, the tears streaming down her face were like blood. Without another word, she exploded into action so fast that feathers were left behind, and Akane's world exploded into pain. She grasped the blade of the weapon that was stuck through her, she knew she was dead as she felt her organs shred and her spine sever. "Wh-what are you?" she gasped. "Vengeance." Was the reply as she threw Akane out into space. The dragon let out a roar as if awakening. "I am free!" he roared out. Ryoga stared at the dragon. "I'm glad you're free, but my friends are dying." She wept bitterly. All this power and she could do nothing. Bahamut spoke "I will save them." Her hopeful eyes pierced the dragon's heart and with a mighty roar and explosion of power, her friends began to stand up. "Thank you, Bahamut! Oh thank you!" she exclaimed. The Dragon King laughed "My pleasure child. Should you need me again, just call." As he spoke, she felt a rush of power fill her body. She gained the ability to summon Bahamut! She nodded her head. "Thank you." Before landing. "One last thing." In addition, with his power restored their Gummy Ship. Ryoga suddenly felt light headed as she looked to her friends. "Heh." And collapsed.

Some time later after Ryoga woke up, she was recalling everything she'd been through. Her friends listened raptly as she told everyone about Choko, the Time Forest, and her discovery about her past. She also discovered that the change wasn't permanent, which was good, but the technique was draining, which wasn't good. "So you become some kind of angel when you use your power?" Donald asked. "I think Angel is a good thing to call it." Xiao said. Ryoga nodded, but Ranko looked upset. "Akane's completely gone now." She sniffled. She is Ranma's more tender side. Ryoga just placed her arms around her shoulders and held her. Xiao rested her head in Ranko's lap, her yellow eyes blinking into Ranko's blue. The redhead scratched the neko-girl behind the ears. Goofy growled softly and Donald looked at him in sympathy. Ryoga looked out the window again. "This isn't just a quest to save someone or get revenge, it was war."

End Chapter 8


	10. A Different Side Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Not for the faint of heart. Now in new, bite-sized pieces! Uhm... I'm ok now.

Author's Notes: Despite what people may think, this story is **not** becoming a yuri fic. I have the motto that if it happens, it happens, but I am not going out of my way to do it. Once again, I wish to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. Also, I wish to thank the Baron for his questions. Also, thank you Ranko for being my first reviewer. Ja ne!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 9

The battle with Bahamut left the battered crew in low spirits. The one hit hardest was Ranko. Her confidence was failing her. She could not escape the trap that Genma had laid for her. It was the same he set for Ranma. "I have to be the best! Ranko Saotome don't lose!" was running through her head, echoing hollowly. For all outward appearances she was cheerful and cocky as always, but the depression was setting in. "I have to be the best." she whispered bitterly as she walked through Traverse Town. Everyone else was at Ucchan's, telling their latest adventure and getting their spirits back up. Ranko just wasn't in the mood. She looked up to the sky and saw something strange. There were dark clouds overhead. "Traverse Town doesn't have clouds..." she just shook her head and kept walking. The scenery was becoming more and more bizarre as she walked. Kids were running around her. At least they looked like kids. They were wearing funny masks with horns and leering skulls. "Darkness is everywhere." a voice whispered. Ranko's head whipped around to find the voice, but could see nothing. "The Heart is full of Darkness. Escaping to the Light briefly before returning.." she was starting to get a little worried, but hid it with bravado "Who are you!?" she shouted, her hands clenched at her sides. "You want to grow stronger? I can help. I can make it so you will never be beaten again." the voice whispered tantalizingly. "Tch. Of course I want to grow stronger, but I'll do it my way. I won't cheat and I won't fall for your lies like Ranma did!" she screamed into the darkness. A figure slowly stepped out from the shadows. His arrogant stride was unmistakable. "Ranma." was all she could say as he approached. "You're stronger then I thought you were. I expected you to be weakness, but you're something else entirely." he said before snarling "I don't know what you are, but you'll never beat me. You can't even match my power." his usual cockiness is tempered with genuine confidence. She knew she couldn't beat him. "What do you want?" she asked, already slipping into the masked stance. "I want you to either serve me or die." she pretended to consider it. "Hmmm... No." his jaw actually dropped. She couldn't understand why he was surprised. If he was Ranma then he'd know his own response. This was another nail in this imposter's coffin. "You little fool! Die!" he shouted before firing off a black Mouko Takabisha right into Ranko's chest. She couldn't even cry out as the blast of evil ki struck her and flung her broken body off of a cliff that hadn't been there before. Her last thought was "Ranma..." before she woke up screaming.

Another night, another nightmare. Ranko sat at the table eating almost mechanically, ignoring Genma's attempts to steal her food and Ryoga smashing him flat into the floor. "Ranko? What's wrong?" Xiao asked, concern plain in her voice. "Nothing." she whispered. The first words she'd spoken all morning. Ryoga sighed "C'mon, Ranko. Tell us what's wrong. How can we help if we don't know?" the redhead just shook her head, her braid swaying. "I'm full." she said before getting up and walking from the room. Her food was only half eaten. Goofy absently passed Genma Ranko's plate before he could steal from Ryoga. "That was weird. She's been like that since last week." the goggle-headed boy said. "She lost pretty badly. I'm usually the same way after a loss. I don't wanna be around anybody and I just wanna be alone." Ryoga said. "Does that mean we leave her alone?" Donald asked. "Hell no! We need to do something to take her mind of it! The next world, according to my research, is Halloween Town. Heartless activity is minimal to nonexistent and it's Halloween all year long. Perfect place to play." Xiao said as she adjusted her glasses, shut a giant book, and suddenly stowed it in her bag. No one questioned where she got it. "Cartoon physics." Ryoga muttered, but had to agree it was a great idea.

"I hate dreams." Ranko muttered. Once again dwelling on her favorite topic, her defeat at the claws of Bahamut. She knew that the dragon was stronger then her, but that didn't help her confidence any. She was also thinking about what would happen if they could save Ranma. Of course she'd become part of him again. "I had dreams when I was first freed. Now I hate them. They just tantalize ya before turning ugly and vanishing." tears silently fell as she walked. "Ranko! Hey! We're going now!" she turned to look at Ryoga as she came running up. "What's wrong? Please don't cry." the neo-girl was getting better at physical contact and hugged her friend. Ranko just didn't want it and gently pushed her away. "C'mon. Let's just get this over with." she whirled and jumped away, leaving Ryoga staring after her.

The flight was even more boring then usual. Ranko's lousy mood was affecting everyone. It felt less like traveling with friends and more like flying in a funeral ship. As they rapidly approached Halloween Town, however, even Ranko couldn't hide her excitement. It looked spooky, creepy, and like it was a whole lot of fun! They couldn't wait to land. "I'm going to use my magic to help us blend in with the locals." Donald said with a smirk. As they exited the ship, they transformed into various costumes. Ryoga's fangs were lengthened and she was wearing a tight black vest, black fingerless gloves that went to her elbow, tight black pants, and a pair of black bat wings on her back. Oblivion didn't need any changes. Donald was wrapped up like a mummy with tufts of hair sticking out from his head, even his eyes were slimy and vacant looking. Goofy looked almost the same except his clothes were drab brown and gray with tatters. His head looked like a bolt was rammed through it from the top. Xiao was dressed in a skintight cat suit with clawed gloves on her hands. Less really was more. Ranko was staring in blatant disbelief at what she was wearing. She was dressed up like a sailor senshi, her hair was lengthened and tied up in odangos. Her hair was red, but she knew she was supposed to be Sailor Moon. Oh wait, the skirt and bow was pink. She was Sailor Chibi-Moon. "Ahh!" was the appropriate response. Everyone sweatdropped as she began attacking Donald with a Pink Sugar Heart attack. She suddenly stopped and blinked. "Wait, these actually have powers!?" Ryoga shrieked. Her wings flapped a few times in response. Xiao meowed. Goofy scratched a few patches of flesh off and watched them regenerate. Donald was laughing maniacally "I am a genius!" face-faults abounded.

Being a senshi wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Sure, the skirt was indecent and even the zombies they'd seen had reacted, but it was kind of cool. They'd decided to split up. This place was a safe zone, right? Besides, the could find the Keyhole quicker. She actually felt herself smiling as she watched the children run by her with bags stuffed with candy. It was kind of refreshing. It looked scary, but was friendly. Something laid a bony hand on her shoulder and she spun, ready to fight. "Whoa! Take it easy! Hello there, you're obviously new here. My name is Jack Skellington and I am the Pumpkin King!" he declared as a dramatic clap of thunder heralded his statement. Ranko found herself laughing in relief. "Oh, hello. My name is Ranko Saotome." she bowed to him. "Pleased to meet you Ranko! I just saw your friends a little while ago. I brought them to see the Professor." he scratched his head "But I really need to find Sally. Would you come with me?" he asked pleasantly. She grinned "Ok! Sounds like fun." she followed along. Knowing that when this was over, her depression would come back, but she was going to hold it back as long as she could.

They entered the cemetery to a strange sight. The statues seemed to be alive. Jack was glaring about. "This isn't right at all! Whatever this darkness I'm feeling is, it's evil!" he exclaimed as the statues suddenly resolved themselves into strange bandage wrapped creatures with one eye and long claws. They were dancing about with jerky movements and suddenly lunging about as if not seeing them. "Hmph. Amateurs. Why don't I teach you about **FEAR**!" he thundered as bolts of jagged lightning exploded through the wights, decimating them. As more were destroyed however, more began to arise. Ranko found herself grabbed from behind by three of them, slashing and tearing at her. With a scream of pain and rage she executed a roundhouse and flung them away. She decided to try something and removed her tiara. "Moon...Tiara... **ACTION**!" and flung the glowing disc through the attacking wights and reducing them to moon dust. "You're moon dusted! Ack! I'm talking like them!" she exclaimed mortified as another wight appeared in front of her. Jack was having fun with them as he literally romped through them. His dramatic flourishes and sudden stunts kept the Heartless baffled. Ranko was finally starting to get the hang of her sudden senshi powers and was causing massive destruction. "Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" she cried as she fired off about a dozen little hearts that struck like TNT. As suddenly as the fight began though, it ended. Leaving a panting Ranko and a madly grinning Jack in their wake. "That was terribly fun! Now where is Sally?" he looked about him before hearing a soft female voice say "I'm over here, Jack." as she stepped out from behind a tombstone. Ranko had to admit she was kind of pretty in a bride of Frankenstein sort of way, but kept her mouth shut. Introductions were made and Jack got to the point. "Sally, we need your memory. We're currently working on a heart for the Heartless." Ranko's head whipped around so fast it almost broke the sound barrier. "My memory? Do you mean, this?" and gave Jack a bouquet of Forget-Me-Nots. "This is it! It's perfect! Come along Ranko. Ryoga should be back by now with the surprise!" the slightly-more-willing-senshi shook her head and trailed after. Sally sighed as she watched him depart.

The Professor struck Ranko as being eccentric. Eccentric and downright frightening. He was puttering about in his wheelchair, muttering about incompetents and fools, as he worked. Ranko was standing over with her friends as they all watched in fascination as the little genius grabbed the switch. "Ready? Here we go!" and yanked down, the energy thrummed through the heart. The Heartless that lay on the table suddenly sat upright, his eyes glowing yellow before suddenly turning to an evil red. "Uh oh... This can't be good!" as the Heartless attacked, three voices yelled "Lock!" "Shock!" "and Barrel!" just before three children ran into the room, knocked the Professor out of his chair, and running away with the heart. "Those damn brats!" the fallen genius exclaimed angrily. The floating Heartless was obscenely fast and his teleportation abilities made him difficult to hit. Ranko was standing off to the side building up her power for Mouko Takabisha. Ryoga and Xiao were engaging it directly as it appeared, trying to pin it down. Goofy was shielding Donald as he built up his magic. The Heartless suddenly appeared right in front of Ranko, but with his back turned. He was confused, but it didn't last long as a multi-side attack turned him into ash. "This is terrible! They must have gone to Oogie Boogie with the heart! After them!" they rushed out the door with the Professor screaming after them to put him back in his chair. A loud squelching horribly cut off his screams.

Outside was total chaos. More of the teleporting Heartless were outside with giant gargoyles and more wights. Ranko's thoughts drifted again as she saw the odds. "How can we win this? These guys are much stronger..." but something inside her gave her a swift kick to pay attention. Wait, that was Xiao. Her eyes flared "Grrr.... Take this!" she whipped out the Moon Scepter and pointed it at the enemies. Ryoga and the others were startled to say the least when the blast of moonlight ripped through the Heartless. They all sweatdropped at Ranko. She was glowing and almost looked like the Moon Princess. "Donald. I think you did her costume **too** well." was all Ryoga could say as Donald nodded dumbly.

The mansion was immense to say the least. It was also large, enormous, and massive to say more. "So, Oogie Boogie is in there." Ryoga said to Jack. He only nodded. She hoped that the fear she was feeling was natural. The companions entered the mansion. They knew they were being watched. As soon as they entered, their senses didn't alert them to the trap until they found the floor suddenly drop underneath them. As they careened down the chute it suddenly branched off into different chutes, dividing them. Jack and Ryoga, Donald and Goofy, Xiao and Ranko.

Jack and Ryoga

The chute ended shortly after the split and spit them out onto a large roulette wheel. A sack wrapped creature stood gloating above them. "Well, Jack! Long time no see! Have ya come to play?" he swallows the heart. "Oh Heartless!" he calls and only gets two gargoyles. That wouldn't have been bad except they decided to get at the heart and dived down Oogie Boogie's throat. "This can't be good." Jack muttered. Ryoga felt that was an understatement. The sack man groaned and began roaring incoherently. His body began expanding and expanding until it finally ripped at the seams. The two gasped in shock at what was revealed. It looked like a scarab beetle with the lower body being the body of a centipede and a small nozzle-like thing was pointing from the chest area. "Well, that was certainly interesting." the creature commented "Pity you can't bask in my glory, but it's time to die." he growled before hurling giant dice at the roulette wheel. "Look out!" Jack cried just a split second before huge spinning blades erupted from the ceiling and rained down upon them. Ryoga spun the Oblivion into position and slashed at a razor blade, sending it flying at Oogie Boogie. The deflected shot bounced of an invisible barrier. Jack kept searching the wheel for something as he flipped and twisted out of the way. Ryoga just kept slashing the blades out of the way. "I'm bored, make this more interesting." the creature grumbled. "You want interesting? I'll give ya interesting!" Jack cried as he jumped on a button on the wheel. An explosion blasted just underneath Oogie Boogie and flung him down into the fray. "That's not what I meant!" he yelled as he found himself dodging razors, Keyblade, and Jack. Oogie Boogie aimed his chest nozzle at the two and fired off a spray of some kind. It melted everything it came in contact with. "Hold him down! I'll get him!" Ryoga shouted to Jack as she took off into the air, her wings pumping mightily. The bug tried to stop her takeoff but found himself on the receiving end of a burst of flame. Ryoga was slowly circling overhead, waiting for the best moment to strike. Finally seeing her opening, the neo-girl dived down and slashed through his head, carapace , and all. Vampire strength is great she thought, but she was really thirsty. After a glance at Jack, she decided he might not taste good.

Donald and Goofy

The chute went down and down endlessly. At a point they found themselves going in loops and finally found themselves flung out into a large room filled with toys of varying types and states of disrepair. "More playmates!" a child's voice cried out gleefully. Three children approached the King's men. "Ah they're just kids." Donald said, but Goofy was staring at them warily. They giggled evilly as their shadows began stretching across the floor and exploding from the ground. The three were covered in darkness before becoming what their costumes were designed after. A Witch, a Devil, and a Skeleton. "Ok, now this is bad." Donald said as he deflected a blast of fire from the Witch. "Hold still so I can fry you!" Donald's mouth opened and fetid breath smelling of the crypts of Egypt struck her full in the face, her eyes filling with terror. Donald channeled the Mummy to full effect. The Devil stabbed through Goofy with his pitchfork, his mouth twisting unpleasantly into a smile. Goofy moaned hideously, his shoulders stooping and his back hunching, bones sticking out from his spine. With a devastating swing he flung the Devil and the Skeleton across the room. "You wanna play? Let's make this a real Monster Mash!" Goofy boomed hollowly, his chest rattling. The battle between Donald and the Witch was intense. Donald was standing tall and straight, drawing upon the power of the crypt to hurl the power of the Mummy's Curse upon her. His first attack had left her wide open for the finishing blow and she slumped to the ground, her alter ego dead and reverting into the child. "You play too rough..." she mumbled tiredly. The Skeleton slashed through Donald with a rusted sword before finding himself gripped by a vise strong hand and lifted to eye level with the Mummy. "Back to the crypt with you, worm." he breathed in the Skeleton's face and dropped it, it reverted to the fat little boy. Goofy was squared off against the most dangerous of the three. "What can a Zombie do against a Devil?" he declared arrogantly. The glazed eyes of the Zombie burned bright "More then you think!" before swinging into him with his shield, but it was deflected with the pitchfork. The Devil clearly had the upper hand as they traded blows back and forth. Yet for some reason, Goofy was the one smiling. The Devil was growing more frantic as he grew more tired and Goofy's smile widened. "I am Undead... Not a mere Zombie... I never tire..." he chanted, the Devil's eyes filled with fear as he realized the truth just before Goofy ripped his head open with his bare hands. The Devil reverted into the lead child. "Damn." he muttered as Donald and Goofy reverted to normal.

Xiao and Ranko

The chute they were falling down abruptly turned into a drop that ended with a bone-jarring thump. Ranko's senshi body took the fall easily and Xiao's feline reflexes allowed her to land on her feet. The darkness was oppressive, even Xiao's eyes couldn't penetrate. A figure began walking towards them, hands clapping. "I was hoping it would be Ryoga who fell down here, but this is better. His beloved cat and my dear sister." the easily recognizable voice taunted. Ranko was sure that Ranma didn't know that Xiao really was a cat and grinned evilly. "I get to kill you both and further break that dumb bitch. I hope you can keep up with me." Ranma said as he assumed the stance, the same one that Ranko assumed. "Xiao honey?" Ranko smiled sweetly at her, Xiao picked up on it immediately as she got into her leaping stance "Mreow." she smiled. Ranma suddenly froze. It bothered Ranko too, but she knew that Xiao wasn't evil so her fear wasn't there. Xiao began prowling around Ranma, making purring little inquiries. Ranma's eyes were darting about in undisguised fear as Ranko began walking around him the opposite way. The two girl's hips swaying cat-like, Ranko used the image of Xiao to shift into first stage neko-ken. "We only have one chance, be ready." she whispered as she crossed paths with Xiao. Ranma suddenly exploded upwards to get away from the scary girls but found himself hurled to the ground with a terrible impact. As his vision cleared he saw the two standing over him. His fear was making him sloppy, but Ranko wasn't prepared for what happened next. They'd pushed him too far which was what she didn't want. He suddenly surged into motion and flung them around the room with ease. His ki claws shredding their outfits, but not so bad they were indecent. Ranma saw this and had a brief nosebleed "Meow." he said appreciatively. Xiao's eyes turned bright gold as her aura flared, Ranko's eyes turned sapphire as her own aura flared. "You hentai **JERK!**" they screamed in unison and punted him through the ceiling where he vanished.

They met up again outside the mansion. A few eyebrows raised at Xiao and Ranko's costumes, but kept silent. "The heart failed. It's too bad, really." Jack lamented. Ryoga was getting ready to open her mouth when a voice called out "Whoooooooo!" like a ghost, their eyes shot to the mansion and saw the house become Oogie Boogie. "Why won't he just die?" Ryoga asked with a snarl in her voice. Jack was growling as well. "Let's get him." and they lunged into battle.

They quickly saw the source of his power was several dark spheres spread over his "body" and they separated again into teams of two to handle it better. Ryoga was having the time of her life flying. It was so much easier then jumping, but her chest muscles were starting to hurt. Jack was leaping and jumping like a skeletal grasshopper. The spheres were easy to dispatch, but the constant stream of gargoyles was getting annoying. It fell to Ryoga to act as support to give Jack a clear shot at the spheres. As they reached midway up, they saw the largest one by far. A skull inside said "This is where your quest ends." before unleashing bolt upon bolt of dark energy.

Donald and Goofy were having a slightly easier time with their side. Donald was throwing his hand up like a grappling hook on a bandage tether and pulling them up. Goofy was his support, firing off his ki blast from his shield to decimate the wights that assaulted them. Donald could feel his magical energy exhausting as they pushed their costumes to the limits. They didn't realize that all of the power they had here was from his own energy. "Gotta keep going..." he muttered tiredly as they made it to the midway point where a massive dark sphere sat. A skull inside said "This is where your quest ends." before firing a stream of super intense heat.

Xiao and Ranko were twirling and flipping with a dexterity that left even the Heartless in amazement just before they found themselves destroyed. They fought in perfect sync, Xiao was a cat and Ranko was using the first stage neko-ken. The teleporting Heartless actually couldn't find it in themselves to teleport. It could be they were stunned by the amazing leaps or it could be the fact that Ranma rendered their costumes skimpy. "Even Heartless must get urges..." Xiao muttered. The sight that stopped them was a large dark sphere with a skull inside it. "Your quest... Screw it. I'm gonna &# you up!" and unleashed a bolt of lightning.

Ryoga found herself in the battle of her life as the energy bolts turned out to be homing missiles that had no problem blasting her out of the sky. She would've fallen if Jack hadn't caught her, he held her tight as the blasts struck all around them. She tried to figure out they weren't getting hit when she noticed Jack shielding them with his power. He looked like his energy was depleting rapidly, it was painfully obvious that he couldn't hold out. "Stop, Jack! Save yourself!" she begged and he shook his head. "No! I will not allow a friend to die!" but his energy died shortly thereafter. He shoved her to safety just before he got blasted into a broken heap. "Jack! I'll get you for this Oogie Boogie!" her eyes flashed crimson "Limiter Removal! Trance!!" and exploded into angel form. The dark blasts rebounded off of her aura just before the dark sphere was demolished with a single stroke. "I will get you." she said as she flew upward, the blood tears streaming down her face.

Donald was struggling to hold it together as the beam fired at them unceasingly. Goofy was trying to fight back, but couldn't move. He was pinned down by fire, clutching his shield tightly. It was obvious that Goofy's unbreakable shield could still be super heated. The skull seemed to completely forget that Donald was there. He guessed it was because he was so weak already, but he wished he could do something so that Goofy could get free. The goggle-head was starting to moan in agony as the unrelenting attack kept him pinned down. Donald's eyes were growing blurry from exhaustion and visions swam before his eyes. The vision he saw was so real he could even smell it. It was Goofy just after the beam penetrated his shield and was nothing but a smoldering ruin. "No...Goofy..." Donald felt power welling up inside him, threatening to burst free from his body. "You will not hurt him!" Donald's aura flared out deep blue and collapsed onto him. He found himself wearing a blue mage's robe with a large blue hat, the brim was wide and the wide sleeved robe flapped in the breeze softly. His face was in shadow, but his eyes were burning blue. "Lord of the sky hear my command... **SHOCK**!" he cried to the heavens and summoned down a pillar of lightning that exploded the sphere like it was nothing. Donald looked to Goofy and cast Curaga before using a Float spell to hover towards the head of Oogie Boogie.

Xiao was not having a good day as she took her third bolt of lightning. The skull's aim was impressive to say the least, but this was getting old fast. Ranko was firing Mouko Takabisha at a steady clip, but the lightning skull kept blocking it with a barrier. She could feel her ki depleting, but she couldn't let Xiao get killed. "Xiao! Move!" she screamed just before the skull fired a blast into her back that hurled her to the ground. Her weakly twitching fingers were the only indication that she was alive. Ranko hurled herself in front of the blast of lightning and stood there, holding it back as best as she could. She was sure she screamed at least once, but she couldn't be sure. The dreams began to creep into her thoughts. She fought the tears "I...am not....weak... I am strong... I won't let...you kill my friend..." she felt her tears drying from the heat of the lightning and her resolve strengthened. A pink aura began exuding from her body and began fixing her senshi outfit. It was also altering it as well, she felt weird ornaments decorate her hair, red gems with pearls around them. Her choker became gold trimmed, and her senshi outfit was suddenly replaced by a sleeveless dress that showed her bare shoulders, the dress was gold trimmed. Angelic wings burst free from her back, blue with purples and reds on the inside, and fluttering in the breeze. The dress ended a few inches above the knee and an energy sword appeared in her hand. She looked like an altered version of Super Sailor Moon combined with the Princess form. The skull suddenly found that its lightning was being absorbed by her aura. "Can we talk about this?" it asked as it saw her eyes blaze pink. "Didn't think so." was the last thing it said as Ranko sliced it in half as she flew up to join the battle.

Oogie Boogie felt his power decreasing rapidly as they destroyed his darkness. He was just glad that his main source was kept inside him and not accessible. He was gloating, however, as he saw how the battles were going between the party and his skulls. His laughs turned to shock as three glowing beings rose up around him. Red, blue, and pink auras flared around him. "You have caused a lot of pain." Ryoga said. "We're going to stop you." Donald said. "Halloween is for the enjoyment of children and their parents! Your actions have disrupted that fun and I cannot forgive you! I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" Ranko flourished her sword and struck a pose. The statement made even Oogie Boogie sweatdrop. "Ahem. You get the drift." Ranko blushed. Oogie Boogie laughed at their antics. "If you wanna defeat me, then you better hold nothin' back! Die!" just before unleashing a cloud of smoke from his mouth that engulfed the three of them. They discovered quickly that the smoke was electrified. Their screams of pain would warn Oogie's heart, except they weren't screaming. When the smoke cleared it revealed three pissed off teens. "You are so goin' down!" Ranko screamed as she launched forward, her sword shearing through the side of his head. "Party time!" Ryoga shouted as she crossed Ranko's flight path and sliced the other side of his face. "This may leave a mark!" Donald created a magic pattern in the air, focusing his energies into the pattern. "Shining Rainbow!" Oogie looked at Donald in confusion "What a stupid name for..." he began just before a seven beam blast shot into his face. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange, and white burst into him with a final explosion. His face was blackened and smoking "...an attack." he coughed out. He unleashed a wave of total darkness upon them that sent them hurtling through the air. Ryoga was pissed. That blast scuffed her armor. Ranko was upset because it tore her uniform, again. Donald was just mad on principal. "Let's finish this!" Ryoga called out. Donald summoned the Gummy Ship by remote to evacuate Xiao, Goofy, and Jack. After they were safely clear, the three raised their weapons to the sky. "What the hell is this, crap?" unleashing another burst of darkness, but unlike the first it had no effect. They all shouted in unison "Bahamut!" their combined power hurtled into the sky and transformed into the massive Dragon King, Bahamut. "W-wait...can we talk this over?" Oogie Boogie asked in apprehension. "The time for talk is past." the great voice of Bahamut rumbled across the landscape. "Shit." was the last thing he said before Bahamut unleashed Mega Flare down upon him. When the smoke cleared, there wasn't even a trace of their enemy. "It's over..." Ranko was relieved. Their relief turned to surprise as the Keyhole suddenly appeared beneath the moonlight. Ryoga didn't even hesitate before sealing it with the Keyblade. Bahamut roared out "How about a flight, children?" the girls looked at each other "But what about...?" Xiao began before Donald said "Don't worry, I cast Curaga on them." Ranko squealed happily "With that taken care of... Let's go!" she crowed as the three teens and the dragon began wheeling and flying through the clear night sky.

End Chapter 9

After Notes:I love this story. I know I wrote it, but why shouldn't I enjoy writing it? I'm going to try and make it more like the more innocent first few chapters. As always, read and review.


	11. A Different Side Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Roses are red, violets are blue, you smell like a skunk, and you look like one too...Ack! Sorry, wandering fingers.

Author's Note: We're coming down the home stretch sports fans! This has been a lot of fun and I'm glad to have written this. I hope we can see this to the end together. So pull up a chair and sit down. As always, please read and review! Now, without further ado, enjoy the show!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 10

They began the long trip back to Traverse Town the next morning. Though in Halloween Town it's hard to tell when that is. Ranko was grinning at everyone, her mood greatly improved by the "vacation". The conversations ranged from past events to their fight with Oogie Boogie. Xiao was a little jealous because she was the only one who hadn't transformed yet. It shouldn't bother her, but it did. Just as Donald was laughing at something Goofy said, his jaw dropped in shock as a massive pirate ship approached. "This can't be good..." Ryoga started before a barrage from the pirate ship's cannons quickly battered their ship. They returned fire as best they could, but these were seasoned pirates and they obviously knew this part of space. When the last cannon ball struck their ship, the systems, which were already beeping in distress suddenly cut out. With no power left, they drifted towards the deck of the ship where the Gummy Ship dissolved and spilled them out on the deck.

Ryoga came to slowly, her body aching from the landing. As her eyes opened, she quickly took stock of the situation and saw the Heartless pirates with their cutlasses pointed at her. She knew she could take them, but she needed to find her friends first. One of them gestured for her to get up and she scrambled to her feet, pretending she was disoriented from the fall. "Welcome to my humble ship, my dear!" a man in a large red had stepped up, his rapier swishing through the air as he brandished his hook where his hand used to be. His voice was oily as he tried to sound suave, failing miserably. "This is no pleasure cruise, so abandon all hope at the door." laughing at his own "witty" comment. "Stuff it up your ass, Hook." came the voice that Ryoga would know anywhere. Hook glared at the pig-tailed boy that sauntered up behind him. "Hey there Ryoga. I'm actually not surprised that you made it this far. You're nowhere near my level, but you were always good for a laugh." it was clear that Ranma was trying to goad the neo-girl into something rash, but was obviously surprised when it didn't work. As soon as the pig-tailed martial artist stepped forward, Ryoga's eyes were riveted on a flash of purple behind the arrogant boy's legs. She thought it was her imagination, but her gut was telling her that this was the real deal. Ranma finally noticed where her gaze was and grinned down at the cursed martial artist. "She's really pretty. While you were out playing, I found her. It seems she has lost her heart to the Heartless." he said as Ryoga's heart clenched in her chest. "She's not much fun to play with. No soul at all." he grinned suggestively and that did it. Ryoga's aura flared out and blew the Heartless away from her in her fury. Ranma kept the arrogant smirk, but his eyes betrayed his shock and growing fear. "I know you weren't serious, but that kinda comment could cost you." Ryoga said in a dreadful voice. Even Hook was momentarily shaken by the cold tone. "W-why don't you play down in the hold!" he cried "Smee! " before Ryoga could blink, she found herself fall down into the ship's hold.

"I saw her guys! Shampoo is right here!" Ryoga was chattering excitedly. Her anger dissipated by finding her friends. Her friends were listening patiently for her to finish before Donald finally screamed "Get off of us!" the neo-girl finally noticed that she was laying on top of a pile. "Heh heh...oops?" she giggled nervously. As they sorted themselves out, Xiao suddenly tensed. "We're not alone." she whispered. As they got ready for battle, with Ranko for some reason brandishing the Pink Heart Rod like Tuxedo Kamen holding his rose. Ryoga knew the senshi outfit changed her style a little, but didn't think it had gone **that** far. "Whoa! Hold it, I'm not your enemy." said a voice as a boy in green tights flipped out from behind barrels in the hold. "What are you doing here?" Ryoga asked. "I'm waiting for someone." he replied. "You're stuck here, too?" the boy shook his head. "Nah, I'm just waiting for someone." since he wouldn't elaborate on this person, Ryoga shrugged and walked up to the door. With a smirk over her shoulder "Breaking Point!" and blew the door out. The boy's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped at the spectacle. "Wh-wh-wh-what?" he stammered out. He never saw anything like it and the girl's friends hadn't even batted an eye. A small little ball of light suddenly zipped into the room and went right to the boy. "Tink! Where were you?" he asked the tiny girl. She seemed to be making a little tinkling sound that only he could understand. "You found Wendy? That's great! Wait, there was another girl with her?" Ryoga's head whipped around in time to catch that. "Shampoo!" she exclaimed. "Hair product?" the boy looked confused. Ranko sighed and shook her head. "Let us introduce ourselves and we'll explain." she began. At the end of a few minutes, she had given him the severely abridged version, he seemed to think about it. "Okay, the name's Peter Pan. We'll join forces for now, but only until we find Wendy." the friends nodded at him before heading through the broken door.

The pirate Heartless weren't as easy as Ryoga initially thought. At least they gave everyone a good workout, she supposed. Xiao was darting in and out, her sword flashing as more of them went down. For every one she cut down, however, it seemed two would spring up in its place. Goofy was spinning through groups of them, but was having the same problem as Xiao. Donald's enemies for some reason weren't coming back, maybe it was because he kept hitting them in the butt with lightning. Ryoga was actually beginning to feel like she was having her fill of these guys and Peter was crowing like a maniac and hacking them apart. Ranko seemed to be waiting for something and the Heartless were ignoring her in favor of the more dangerous seeming ones. With a twirl the Pink Heart Rod became the Crescent Moon Wand "Moon Healing Escalation!" she cried and vaporized all the Heartless and healed all her allies. They all were looking at her funny. "Why didn't you do that sooner?" Xiao asked. "If I did it too soon, they wouldn't have all been hit." she shrugged. Goofy just slapped his forehead and Donald cracked up. "C'mon, we gotta find Wendy." Peter ordered and lead the way again. As they walked through the expansive ship, Donald asked "How do you fly?" to Peter. The boy looked at him "With pixie dust. Wanna try?" and everyone nodded, so he gently took hold of Tinker Bell and sprinkled them with the pixie dust, but when Donald tried to fly, he fell. They all decided to just leave it alone.

The door at the end of the hallway had only a hole in the floor that lead into the bottom of the ship. Peter flew down first while the others jumped in behind him. After hanging around with Ryoga all this time, even Donald could handle a five-story fall. What they saw when they hit bottom shocked them. It looked like a shadow copy of Ryoga, surrounded by more of the pirate Heartless. The copy pointed a shadow Keyblade at Ryoga and made a "come on" gesture before vaulting through the other opening at the other end. "Go one, Ryoga. We got this." Goofy said tersely. The neo-girl merely nodded and ran after her clone while the others prepared for battle. Along with the pirates, shadows began creeping up through the floor. "These guys are a cinch! C'mon gang!" Peter called out to rally them. As he lunged into battle, he failed to see the mass sweatdrop he left in his wake, but the Heartless were more then happy to bring the battle to them as pirates came in swinging and shadows slashed at them. "Scramble!" Donald yelled and that command they listened to as they ran in different directions to split up the Heartless. Ranko was decimating them with powerful punches, kicks, and bursts of Pink Sugar Heart goodness. Xiao was letting her aura creep out and channeling into her blade with a smile. "Let's see how this works... After Image!" she shouted, moving so fast she left an image behind that the enemies lunged at, before falling down headless. Goofy aimed his shield at a line of them before firing his ki blast, it flared into a saw blade shape before cutting them down. Donald was unleashing tight bursts of lightning, weakening a large group before unleashing a wide fireball to finish them off. Peter's method was just as effective. He would dart in, raining countless blows upon them, and dart back out again letting them hit each other. As quickly as it began it ended, but Goofy noticed the shadows on the floor. "Guys, those shadows are moving together." he said. Everyone watched as they formed into a giant Heartless pirate, wielding twin cutlasses and looking fierce. His eye patch was a mini skull and his good eye burned with malevolent light. They looked at each other and nodded before splitting up and attacking from multiple sides. He looked so slow, but proved to be faster then they expected. They found themselves thrown about as if by a blended of blades and kicks. Goofy tried his Captain America impression, but his shield got batted back at him. He tried doing his slicing attack to split him in two and found himself wrapped around one of the pillars holding up the deck of the ship. Donald fired out his Tri-Blast, but was shocked as it survived the blast with a huge hole in its chest. Peter was having the most luck as he rained blows upon its head and neck, but found himself wrapped around another pillar. Xiao's Iai Blow had no effect whatsoever. She tried After Image and First Class Demon God Assault Blade with no effect. Goofy jumped back into the fray and hammered him flat with his Charge attack and Donald blew his feet out from under him with a gust of wind. Xiao had never felt so useless, her friends' attacks were way more effective. She noticed Ranko was powering up again and jumped away as Ranko used the Crescent Moon Wand "Moon Healing Escalation!" and knocked the thing into the wall. Ranko just stared in shock at the lack of effect before finding one of its swords flying at her and knocking her down with the flat edge.

Xiao felt her eyes burning and her hand clench on her sword in fury. Useless, that's what she was. She couldn't even scratch this guy and it was infuriating her. Her yellow aura was turning to a deep gold as it flashed, leaving her clothed in traditional samurai garb. She looked like she had been transported from Meiji Era Japan, her sword held in the traditional stance. Her hair was tied into a long, flowing ponytail and her eyes were burning gold. The pirate looked in her direction just before she began spinning around it, slicing and dicing so fast her sword and feet were a blur of motion. When she was finished she swept her sword down from her forehead to clean it and sheathed it in a practiced motion. Her form shimmered and she reverted back to normal. As they stared at her she giggled slightly "I did it." before passing out.

Ryoga followed her dark clone to the area she indicated. As she got there, she saw her clone standing there with her Keyblade out. It looked like the original Keyblade, the Kingdom Key. Something was telling her to stay on her guard and it was correct as the copy seemed to blur and immediately bring the fight to her. She couldn't remember the last time she ever launched in for the attack like that without even sizing up her opponent. It was weird to say the least as they traded blows back and forth. Fists, feet, Keyblades, and ki attacks were all fair game. The clone was getting more and more frustrated by her lack of progress against what was supposed to be the one she was copied from. That arrogant smirk on Ryoga's face suddenly set her off and with a dark scream created three duplicates of herself that lunged in for the attack as well. Okay, now it was difficult as she had to spin and dodge from the psychotic quartet that was trying to demolish her. She knew that if she didn't come up with something fast, she was in trouble. Actually, scratch that, the quadruple Shi Shi Hokodan definitely meant she was in trouble. With a scream, she fell to her knees with the foursome stepping around her. Keyblades held low and ready to finish her. She was about to use the angel when she decided to use something better. She didn't need power, she just needed focus. As she felt her mind slip into the focus of the kata, time seemed to crawl. The four brought their weapons up for the finisher, they thought they were fast, but Ryoga thought they were slow. The strange peaceful smile on her face belied the sudden explosion of brutal movement as she blocked and countered all their attacks and sent them flying into different corners of the room. Every movement seemed lazy and slow to her as she began systematically taking them out. When she reached the original she bowed her head to Ryoga. To the neo-girl's surprise, the clone held out her Keyblade to Ryoga. "For me...?" when the clone nodded, she took the black weapon and watched as the clone vanished without a trace. The Shadow Keyblade morphed into a copy of the Oblivion. Ryoga was thrilled with the new weapon, but also knew she had to work on her two weapon fighting now.

Her friends caught up with her shortly after the battle and stared at Ryoga while she marveled at her new Keyblade. "Hey guys." she said. "Where'd you get that?" Donald asked. "My clone gave it to me after I beat her." Ryoga replied. Xiao was bouncing happily "I Tranced!" she squealed happily. Before Ryoga could say anything, Peter called out "Wendy!" as he floated near the ceiling. "Peter!" a girl said with a clear British accent. "Hey Ryoga, think you could open a way up to her?" Peter asked. Ryoga nodded "No problem there." and struck the wooden mesh near the ceiling with the Shadow Keyblade and watched the whole thing explode upward. She blinked in amazement. It worked as well as her real Keyblade. As soon as everyone made their way up, Peter joined Wendy and Ryoga saw Shampoo. To say that she was happy would be an understatement. "Hey, Ryoga. I gotta get Wendy out of here. I'm takin' off now." he said and flew out of the room so fast there was a breeze from his departure. Ryoga was cradling Shampoo in her arms, her Keyblades scattered on the ground. "Shampoo..." she gently shook her, trying to get her to wake up. "Please open your eyes..." the neo-girl pleaded. Everyone respected her wish for silence except Ranko. "I know you're upset and want her awake, but we gotta get outta here. We can help her better in Traverse Town. Maybe Merlin knows something." the redhead suggested. Ryoga nodded softly and picked her up onto her back. They tied Shampoo's wrists together and her legs around Ryoga's waist so that the cursed martial artist could fight. It wasn't their idea, it was Ryoga's. She'd be damned if anyone took her away now. "Let's get to the deck. The ship dissolved there and we can board it from there. Move out." her friends looked at each other as Ryoga began marching out. "I don't wanna be the one to get in her path." Goofy said with a shudder. "I hope we can help her." the neko-girl said, her ears drooping as the braided girl said "Merlin can help her." Ryoga's voice called "Come on! Move it!" and with one last glance, they bolted out after her.

The companions bolted onto the deck of the ship and skidded to a halt as they found themselves confronted with a deck full of Heartless. "Well, I am impressed." Captain Hook said as he sauntered up to them. A lantern was swinging back and forth in his grasp and it was revealed to be holding Tinker Bell. "I propose an exchange. You turn over the girl and I'll give you your little fairy friend. The girl won't be killed, she's needed, but I can't say the same for 'Tink'." he laughed evilly. Ryoga snarled, but knew she couldn't get her away from Hook before he pierced her with his hook. Ranma walked out on deck, his smile said he had all the cards. It made her want to cry in frustration. Before Ryoga could do anything however, Peter snatched away Tinker Bell from Captain Hook. "C'mon Ryoga! Did ya really think I'd leave without you or Tink?" he said. Captain Hook screamed in rage "Crush them!" and the whole crowd surged forward to battle. Ryoga turned into a furious whirlwind of spinning blades, breaking their bodies and hurling them overboard. Goofy whipped his shield through the approaching mass as Xiao leaped through another group. Donald was hurling bolts of lightning down from the sky, incinerating them where they stood. Peter was keeping Hook busy and Ranko lead her enemies into the Hiryuu Shoten Ha. Ranma was definitely shocked at the devastation. He knew they were strong, but watching them fight as one unit made him cold all over. He shook himself from his irrational fear. He is the best martial artist of his generation. No one is better. He called upon the dark power in his heart to unleash a barrage of Mouko Takabisha upon them. Ryoga was stunned as Ranma callously destroyed even his own troops just to beat them. She crossed Keyblades to deflect the attack. She knew that she couldn't block it forever, but tried. As she was occupied with the attack, she suddenly felt Shampoo violently yanked off of her back. The shock left her wide open to the barrage attack that smashed her into the deck. She could only watch in pained horror as a giant black cloak carried her off.

She awakened to find her friends gathered around her, looking at her in sympathy. Ranko helped her to her feet, pulling her in for a hug. The neo-girl pulled back with a shake of her head. "I'm ok. I know she's alright and I will find her. I know I will." the others nodded. Peter sighed "It's hard I know. Hey, figured out how to fly yet? Think happy thoughts." he said. They all looked at each other. Happy thoughts? Ranko had a small smile on her face and slowly began rising up. "The day I realized I'm my own person. The day I realized I'm alive!" she wheeled through the air. Donald smiled and rose up as well "The day Daisy agreed to be my girl." Goofy smiled as well, but when he began flying refused to explain why. Xiao practically leaped into the air, giggling "The day I found Ryoga again!" The only one still grounded was Ryoga. She watched them playing in the sky and wished she was up there with them. She could still feel Shampoo on her back and the feeling that she had her. Safe and almost sound. Then she smiled softly at the day they met. That day was the most terrifying, but now it was also the happiest. Before she realized it, she found herself flying upside down next to Ranko. With a blink and a flip she was right side up. "Took ya long enough!" the redhead teased. When Peter tried to lead them, Ryoga kept drifting off in the wrong direction. Giggling at her distress, Ranko and Xiao grabbed her hands and pulled her along with them towards a large clock tower just barely visible in the distance.

As they made their approach, the same black cloak that took off with Shampoo was there. Ranma's voice echoed "I figured you'd like some revenge against the one who took your Shampoo. Consider it a gift!" his voice faded as he laughed maniacally. Ryoga was glad for the chance at the flying freak. Peter looked worried "It's Phantom. Whatever you do, don't let him hit you with his time spell. There's no coming back from it." Ryoga was glad for the advice. Xiao's suggestion was good too "Let's Trance and deal with him!" they nodded as they began focusing their auras. Suddenly the Phantom found himself against an red Angel, a green Knight, a blue Wizard, a yellow Samurai, and a pink Senshi. Peter was nearly bowled over by the power they were radiating, but the Phantom was unimpressed. He unleashed his dark aura and practically bowled them all over with evil energy. Ryoga's first swings missed entirely as well as everyone else's attacks. "Aim for the heart below its body! The color tells you what will work on it!" currently the heart was blue so Donald tried a Blizzaga spell and was gratified when he saw it wince in pain before sweeping him away with a powerful blow. Ryoga saw it turn red and struck with both Keyblades, engulfing them in flames. She was marginally faster than the swipe, but found claw marks across her breastplate. "Look out! This guy is fast!" she called as Donald floated back "Gee, could of fooled me." he muttered sarcastically. "Okay, I'm casting a spell on your weapons. Ryoga, your original Keyblade will have Fire, Goofy's shield will have Ice, and Xiao's sword will have Lightning. Peter, you, me, and Ranko are support." no one could have made a better suggestion so they just nodded. Goofy struck the heart when it turned blue and deflected the killing sweep just as Xiao darted in with her sword. When it turned white, Ryoga struck it again with the Shadow Keyblade. It seemed to be going down pretty easily until it pulled a scythe off its back that wasn't there before and sent them tumbling through the air with a sweep of it. The swinging scythe hurled out vacuum blades that had no trouble damaging them if they didn't dodge fast enough. It was getting the upper hand, so it held up its hand and gathered dark energy. "That's the spell!" Peter cried out, and before anyone could stop him, flew through the blades with no regard for life or limb and cut through its hand with a green glowing dagger. Ryoga was startled at his ki manipulation. "Not bad for a beginner..." she thought, then started laughing. "What!?" Ranko said nervously. "It doesn't like ki attacks." they all looked at each other. The ki manipulators had wicked grins on their faces. Ryoga began gathering up power into her Keyblades, the Shadow Keyblade was charging Shi Shi Hokodan and the Oblivion Keyblade was charging Mouko Takabisha. Ranko was charging Mouko Takabisha through the Moon Scepter. Xiao was powering up for First Class Demon God Assault Blade. Goofy's shield was powering up with his nameless attack. Donald was using his magic to hold a barrier around them while they powered up. The Phantom thought it was funny what they were doing, but it was getting annoyed with the shield. Peter would occasionally zoom in with his charged dagger and perforate him before going back behind the shield. Once they were done they all took aim and with simultaneous cries of their attack names, opened fire on the Phantom. As the ki attacks hammered into the Phantom and ripped through it, Ryoga summoned Bahamut once again for the finishing blow. Ranma, who was watching from overhead, sweatdropped. "Has she ever heard of the term overkill?" he said before vanishing.

Peter was currently holding hands with Wendy and speaking sweet nothings. Ryoga wanted to puke, but held it back through sheer force of will. Bahamut was still there and watching the scene with a paternal eye. Once he was released, he showed that he had a definite fatherly streak. "I'm sorry about your friend." he said to her as she sat on his head. He didn't seem to mind so why not? Ryoga sighed "I'm all right. I'll find her again." Ranko popped up nearby and ruffled her hair. The neo-girl smiled and laughed at her. Ranko was flying upside down with Xiao doing a good impression of Ryoga drifting off in the wrong direction. Suddenly Tinker Bell began flying around Ryoga's head. "Uh oh, Tink's gettin' jealous again. Hey, would you mind taking care of her for me?" as Ryoga tried to stammer something Peter waved and flew off. The little fairy twirled and flared her skirt with an impish smile before disappearing. The same feeling she got when she learned to summon Bahamut filled her. The events of the day were finally crashing down on her as well as the chi drain from the attacks and fell asleep. Bahamut flew almost lazily under the dropping party and caught them on his head with a smile. He supposed he it was time he learned his way to Traverse Town anyway.

As they hurtled through space on Bahamut's head, they gradually woke up. Ryoga was panicked at first, but quickly found the ride to be fun. The others were all clinging on for dear life while she whooped and cheered like a maniac. Bahamut was blowing away asteroids and Heartless ships into space debris with Impulse and Mega Flare. After awhile, they relaxed and enjoyed the ride, until they saw a huge creature hurtling towards them. It looked like a strange form of dragon with a wedge shaped head and wings coming out and no forelegs. It roared in a pale imitation of Bahamut's and set itself for battle. It looked like a cross between a Heartless and Gummy Ship. Bahamut couldn't help laughing. "Is this how you would defeat me? By making me laugh myself to death?" he gloated, but the laughter died as its powerful breath weapon blasted him. Their Gummy ship suddenly appeared and they quickly jumped aboard to try and assist the Dragon King. As Bahamut fired his Mega Flare, their ship fired all of its heavy guns on the floating monstrosity. Apparently its shield was a good one because it completely blocked the attacks. "We may be in trouble." Bahamut rumbled. They didn't want to agree, but if nothing worked then they were sunk. The Heartless Dragon's mouth opened, revealing a massive energy cannon. "Nega Flare!" it roared as it fired out a dark version of Bahamut's Mega Flare and blasted them both into the side of a planetoid. There was nothing they could do, their power cells were running dry and Bahamut was literally fading before their eyes. Ryoga suddenly noticed the ignition of the ship. "Donald! Take out the key!" she cried. Donald was confused, but complied. The neo-girl pointed both Keyblades at the ship's ignition and watched as blue and black beams fired into the ship. The ship began glowing with an eerie light that spread to Bahamut. Cid's special addition was a Transform Gummy and it was activating in a way the manufacturers never intended. In a blaze of light, the ship and Bahamut combined into one being. This new being unfolded its six wings, spikes coming up from its shoulders and a long tail sprouted from its head. Its other tail was long and swishing angrily. It roared out at the beast before it. Ryoga and the others found themselves inside a cockpit on top of the dragon's head. The Heartless Dragon blasted the new dragon with Nega Flare and was stunned when it failed to scratch him. "I have been reborn. I am the Dragon King of Space, Bahamut ZERO!" he roared out as he unleashed "Arc Impulse!" blasting the wannabe dragon full on in the chest. It gasped in pain as its shields were utterly disintegrated. "If that whet your appetite... How about the main course!? ZERO Flare!" he shouted as the ball of blue light formed in his maw just before being unleashed in a stream of pure energy. The crew watched in stunned amazement as the Heartless Dragon was annihilated and turned into space dust. "Well, that was fun. Wasn't it, children?" he asked over the intercom system. "Oh yeah, a lot of fun." Ryoga replied. They were all laughing, a little nervously, as they flew back to Traverse Town.

End Chapter 10

End Notes:Yes, I love to write fight scenes. I also like to advance the plot while doing the fight scenes. When I first mapped out this chapter I didn't intend for Bahamut ZERO to appear and I didn't even plan on the Phantom. I find sometimes as I write, that characters just want to be let out and used. I'm surprised that situations in later chapters actually shed light on stuff in earlier chapters and earlier chapters foreshadow later chapters. I'm either a genius or a lucky fool. What do you think? Thank you for reading. Ja ne!


	12. A Different Side Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. If at any time you see strange lights while reading this, step away from the computer and have a give yourself a reality check. If you can figure out the mystery videogame I'll give you an imaginary cookie.

Author's Note: This chapter is going to be a tad short, but still good. Please forgive me, but I really want this story to reach a successful conclusion soon. Thank you for understanding. As always, remember to tip your waitress. Wait sir! (a loud crash and a scream is heard nearby) The other way you dolt! Geez. Let's just get on with it.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 11

"They were flying at the speed of something really fast and dodging around large objects that resembled large objects." As suddenly as Ranko had begun writing in her journal, she realized something critical. She sucked at descriptions. She peered across the way at what Xiao was writing and blinked a few times. It appeared the cat girl was drawing hearts all over her notebook with Xiao loves… and couldn't make out the rest. She was writing in yellow pen for herself, but green pen for the other person. The redhead was nowhere near dumb enough not to get that implication as she looked at the back of Goofy's head. "Isn't this sweet? A cat girl and a dog boy." She thought. She looked to Ryoga who was busily writing away I her journal. She could tell that the neo-girl actually had better penmanship then her and had quite a flair for writing. Once again humbled, the braided girl decided to think of other things. "Where'd I put my red pen?" she thought.

Excerpt from Ryoga's Journal

Once again we are lost in space. This shouldn't be surprising except for one glaring fact. Our ship has a mind and has lived longer then all of us put together. How could he get lost going west? Straight west with no deviation of course? If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that my directional curse is manifesting itself in newer and more bizarre ways. Bahamut swears that it's "Only a little further", but I'm not buying it. Donald is blissfully unaware of what is happening. He has a picture of Daisy that he refuses to let us see. Goofy is just staring out the window and sighing as if thinking something over. I'm worried about them because we haven't even a single clue where their king is and it's getting them down. Xiao is being kind of obvious with her Goofy fixation again. I tried to explain it to her a few times, but it keeps manifesting at odd moments. Right now she's openly decorating her notebook. This girl curse has been a blessing as much as I hate to admit it. I never would have noticed this stuff without a girl's perspective. Another thing I've begun to notice is Ranko's growing attraction to me. I'm flattered, but my mind is so focused on Shampoo that it isn't fair. Yes, I have tried to talk to her about it and no, she doesn't admit it. I'm beginning to understand a little of what Ranma went through. Ukyou, Kodachi, and even that creepy girl Sania. Ukyou sure can cook well, but is so single-minded at times. Kodachi is crazier than a pack of lunatics high on angel dust. Sania? Fortune teller, believes she's a princess, and enough dark power to level a city block. I should be glad the only ones pursing me are at least a little normal. A huge castle is coming into focus ahead of us so I guess we won't be getting back to Traverse Town anytime soon. Well, I guess the time for writing is past. Ja ne journal!

They received quite a shock as they approached the massive castle. The first was that it appeared as if something was stripping it down to the girders and the other was Bahamut suddenly beginning to fade out. "The dark power of this place is too strong! I need to rest and recover.. I'm sorry.." his voice trailed off as without any warning they found themselves flying without wings. "The natural order of things has been restored." Ryoga thought as they plummeted.

"Ryoga, please wake up! Quickly now! You can't afford to be asleep now!" Shampoo's worried voice ripped through her psyche and awakened her. Ryoga found herself face to face with a giant knight bearing a hideous dog faced shield. With a howl of rage, it was destroyed by a powerful swing of her.. fist? Where was the Keyblade? Suddenly she heard Ranma's laughter. "I have your precious Keyblade. After all, it rightfully belongs to me!" so saying, he brandished the weapon with little real skill. The vengeful neo-girl suddenly took a look around. "Where are my friends?" she cried. "I have them sealed away in the castle. If they're even half as good as you believe, they'll meet you at the top. I hope you have fun in my little playground." Ranma said before the world suddenly shifted and Ryoga found herself falling into darkness.

The world came back slowly into focus for Ranko. The female side of Ranma Saotome, the new daughter of Genma Saotome, and one pissed off girl all around. The sight that greeted her aching eyes looked like a scarecrow, a skull for a face, and chained from a huge scythe. "Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed." She muttered as she summoned her henshin stick into her hand where it became the Pink Heart Rod. Not quite good enough, she thought as she upgraded it into the Crescent Moon Wand with Ginzou. The scarecrow finally stared straight at her, hideous fleshy eyes bulged from its head and a maniacal laugh erupted from a non-existent larynx. "A wee lil' child is here to face the Lord of Fear? I don't think you have what it takes!" it shrieked. Ranko merely gave it a cool smile "Test me and we shall see." She said by way of challenge. The thing suddenly brought the scythe around lightning quick and whipped the blade at her. It appeared that the blade was attached to a long chain that whipped across the room and embedded itself into the wall. Before the redhead could laugh at its stupidity, her expression registered supreme shock as she just barely dodged the scythe blade as it erupted from the ground. A few more quick dodges later had the room looking like a twisted cat's cradle of chains. The Lord of Fear wasn't where he had been standing. As hard as Ranko tried, she couldn't find him. Suddenly her danger sense went off, but not before he grabbed her head in a vise lock "Let's see your fear!" he screamed into her ear. She had no choice but to see what he found.

To say she was startled would be an understatement as she looked around the flowing landscape. She was standing at the top of a hill and the scenery rolling along before her. She reflexively grabbed the blue sun hat she was wearing as the wind swept her dress against her legs. The young martial artist was about to comment on this not being frightening when she saw something move down below. It appeared to be Ryoga and she was in serious pain, blood was spreading over her clothes. With a gasp she rushed down the hill towards the crumpled heap and gathered the injured form of Ryoga in her arms. "R-Ryoga?" she exclaimed in surprise. The rapidly fading neo-girl looked into her friend's eyes as they slowly began to glaze. "Please don't leave me! I love you! Don't leave me…" she sobbed as she clutched the girl to her chest. A laugh drew her eyes upward to see a male Ryoga standing above her. "I had to rid myself of my weakness. Ranma was right. Feelings are useless." He smiled at her, eyes completely dead and emotionless. The braided girl couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No… You can't be serious… Feelings are important! Just like… your feelings for Shampoo…" she said. Hoping to get a reaction, but not like the one she got. "Maybe you mean my feelings for you?" he said mockingly. "Why would I want you? I don't even want Shampoo. I want to beat Ranma and nothing will get in my." He said as his Keyblade appeared in his hand. "Not even you, Ranma-chan." He grinned in amusement at the horrified expression on her face. She didn't even feel it as the blade entered her chest, her tears were flowing down her face in open anguish. Ryoga cruelly twisted the Keyblade in her chest, cracking her ribs. His grin suddenly turned to shock as the image collapsed in front of her. A very angry voice was yelling "How dare you do that to my friend?" and Ranko awakened to find the Lord of Fear frantically dodging an irate neko-girl "Xiao..?" she whispered. Her head slowly cleared and she felt the spell lose its grip. The yellow-eyed girl was slashing rapidly through his chains, further demolishing the spell. "How? You should have been kept busy by the doppelganger!" he cried. Xiao pointed her sword at the fallen thing that resembled her and snorted. "It had none of my new skills or my memories. I felt that one of my friends was in danger and here I am. I will make you pay…" she drew her sword across the ground with a scraping of metal on stone just before launching at him so fast she broke the sound barrier. When the dust settled, she stumbled over to Ranko. "Are you ok?" she asked woozily. Ranko giggled at the sight and tackled her to the ground. "Thanks pal." She said. The stunned neko-girl was wondering if Ranko was schizophrenic with the way her moods shifted.

Goofy was having the time of his life as he fought against four knights, all skilled in their art, and found he was winning. The knights called themselves the Huskarls, much to Goofy's amusement. They were exceptionally well coordinated, but lacked in one crucial area. The brain department. "C'mon guys! Ya gotta do better than that!" he shouted as he hurled another ki blast that the green knight blocked. This time the pattern changed, but he couldn't see how. The red one was charging blindly, the blue one was shielding the red, and the silver knight… Where had he disappeared to? Too late did Goofy realize he was seriously outflanked as he struck the floor with a loud thud. He had fallen into the trap of fighting in a pattern. "He was nothing." The silver one said with disdain. Just as the blow would have hit, a gun shot rocked the silver warrior. A no nonsense female voice called out "Back off of him." She said. Goofy looked towards the speaker and saw a girl standing there. She was wearing a purple dress, brown boots, a white blouse and a purple jacket over it. She had on crossed gun belts and was wielding two guns. One said Rapier EZ and the other said Valkyrie. "Who art thou?" the knight demanded. "The name is Virginia Maxwell." The girl responded before shouting out "Gattling!" and unloading all ammunition into the knights. Goofy decided he would be better off helping out and leaped into the fray. The battle was turning into one huge melee of bullets and ki blasts. Goofy loudly shouted "What is the point of this stupid battling?" and all action stopped. They all looked at each other in confusion. "Hmm… Perhaps you are correct." The green one said. "It is pointless." The blue said. "Oh I concur brother mine." Red responded and they all promptly vanished. Goofy looked at Virginia. "Are you going to vanish as well?" he asked. "No, I'm real." She said. The two looked at each other just as a mini explosion echoed from the next room and a massive figure of black metal appeared in front of a new hole in the wall. Occupying the other wall was Donald. "This is totally stupid." The sailor-suited boy spit out. Donald and Virginia just looked at each other again before getting into ready stances. The black armored knight suddenly shrieked like a little girl "Three on one ain't fair!" and vanished in a puff of smoke. Face-faults abounded following the departure.

Ryoga was finding that going solo was a lot harder then it looked. At first she relished the idea of fighting her way alone, but that was before she was crowded at every turn by Heartless. A large figure hulked next to him. He was called Beast and had come to her rescue shortly after she began this trip up the elevator of doom as she was calling it. The ride was slow on the way up, but the battles were growing more difficult. As if that wasn't bad enough her danger sense was suddenly on overdrive. "Ryoga! Look out!" Beast shouted and shoved the neo-girl down just before a Keyblade wielding individual made her into twins. Ryoga vaulted back to her feet and came face to face with Ranma. "Shampoo is at the top. Think you can make it?" he taunted. "I will do everything I can to save her." With a swish of her Shadow Keyblade she leapt into the fray. Beast was almost gleeful as he slaughtered the Heartless. In this he was a force of nature. The cursed martial artist leapt at her hated foe before suddenly finding Ranma not there. "Kuso!" she swore as she was forced to dodge the oncoming back attack, but the awkwardness of the block put her even more out of position. The pig-tailed boy was sure good at capitalizing on mistakes and her impulsiveness was a huge one. The next few minutes were agony as she fought back tooth and nail to regain the lost initiative. Keyblades clashed together, the whole time Ryoga was mentally screaming for inspiration. "I can't believe Shampoo actually put any faith in you. You're so hopeless. How could anyone even stand to love you?" Ranma said "Such a freak! Stupid transvestite!" he said with venom. Ryoga's head snapped up. "She does rely on me. So do my friends and the way to losing is giving up. Ryoga Hibiki don't lose." She said with a smirk and Ranma found himself shouting "Ryoga Hibiki prepare to DIE!" and stopped in stunned amazement as the Keyblade suddenly leapt back to Ryoga, who was shaking with laughter. Everyone stopped fighting to watch her laugh. "I'm sorry…but ya gotta admit. That was definitely priceless. So is this." So saying she struck a familiar pose. "Ranma no Baka!" and launched him heavenward by way of Air Ryoga. The Heartless applauded the classic golf swing. "Excellent form and follow through." One commented to the other while the other nodded enthusiastically. Beast was getting a headache. Something was happening here that the neo-girl couldn't quite put her finger on, but she was damn sure she would figure it out.

There were many joyful reunions at the top of the castle as well as a few introductions. The gunfighter girl looked at the Beast with a raised eyebrow but kept silent. There was nothing else to do but go through the door at the other end of the room. "I feel like every three steps we get someone new or a new power up. I swear this is like some kinda videogame." Donald muttered. "Then again, new friends, rivals, and techniques happen in Nerima too." Ranko said. Suddenly Ryoga put two and two together. "We have reached the last haven before total chaos. A chaos that has grown with the inclusion of the Tokyo Islands, namely Nerima." Ryoga said. Everyone was staring at the deep thoughts coming from her and shuddered. This was not going to be fun if everything began operating on Nerima principles. A much more cautious group entered the dark portal.

The sight that greeted them was horrifying to the say the least. Six crystals were lined up along the walls, each holding a girl inside. They seemed to be okay, more or less, so they focused on the main attraction. Beast suddenly caught of something "Oh Belle!" and that was that. The Magnificent Seven was dropped down to an almost as impressive Six. Ranma looked to be having a bad day as he perched atop the Keyhole portal. His voice rumbled oddly as he spoke "This is not what I planned at all…" he lamented just as the heroes arrived. "You know, this isn't fair. You have all the allies and all I have is demonic possession." He said to the group below him, all radiating six foot high battle auras. Even the girl who just joined them. "Perhaps I could convince you to fight me one on one?" he said to Ryoga almost pleadingly. "Why should I?" the neo-girl said. Suddenly Ranma's face creased in a sadistic smile "Because I have Shampoo." He gestured and there she was, tied by her wrists and dangling. "Your friends can try to save her, but you must fight me, Ryoga-chan." He laughed maniacally as he exploded in a burst of darkness and Tranced? This was not good, Ryoga thought. "Save Shampoo. Leave this creep to me." She said as she powered up into the Angel. "So now we're equal. Right? I don't think so, however. I will always be stronger then you. Every time you get a cool new technique, I just come up with a counter. This time is no different." Ranma laughed. Ryoga just sighed "You can't counter someone's heart. It's only a matter of time before Ranma throws you off. You're on borrowed time." She said before slipping into the mindset. "Ranma" suddenly attacked her at twice Amaguriken speed, but it didn't put her off in the slightest. They countered technique with technique, traded blow for blow, and hit for hit. Ranma was utterly confident, but growing more frenzied at Ryoga's unearthly calm. "I can no longer bear the darkness in my heart so I give it all to you." She said as she aimed her Keyblades at Ranma and fired out "Shi Shi Hokodan-Perfect Release!" and unleashed a blast of pure depression chi at Ranma that literally blew him out of the air. What was left was Ryoga floating there in a pale rose aura in skintight white armor and white wings. The blood tears no longer flowed down her face. She looked at the Shadow Keyblade and saw that it had been purified as well. The two Keyblades looked like identical twins, wings came down to form the hilts as the blades rose up like pure silver shafts. They said "Soul" and "Heart" respectively. When she looked around for her enemy, Ranma was gone. As she reverted she smiled at her friends as they brought Shampoo over.

Everything they tried just didn't seem to work. Ryoga was on the verge of despair all over again, but refused to give in. "There must be something." Ranko said. Everyone wracked their brains for an idea. The neo-girl suddenly got an idea. "Maybe if I kiss her!" and suited words to actions. Xiao was about to say that only works in fairytales, but was shut up when a bright light flashed Shampoo gasped and sat up. What had everyone surprised was what happened to Ryoga! The neo-girl was back to being a guy again! "Ryoga!" Shampoo cried and threw her arms around his neck. Ryoga held her back just as tightly. The sight warmed the companions, but something nagged at them. "What about the other girls?" Xiao asked. "Only Ranma can tell us that…" Goofy said as he stared out the window.

End Chapter 11

Author's Notes: Yes this was a rush job. I just didn't want to leave you loyal readers without an update for any longer. I'm sure there will be someone out there who knows what reference I'm making. Thank you and hope to update again soon! Ja ne!


	13. A Special Side

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½ or Kingdom Hearts. Always remember to take this fic in large doses for maximum insanity.

Author's Note: What an interesting day, eh? It is once again time for an update! (cheers and applause greet this statement followed by "About damn time!") Ahem. Thank you for your attention and the game referred to in the previous chapter was Wild Arms 3. Sit back and enjoy the show!

A Different Side,

A Different Story

A Special Side

Excerpt from Ryoga's journal...

What an interesting week this has been! I suppose I should recap what happened after my battle with Ranma. I remember looking around for Ranma to see if he was still around, hoping that he was gone. Nothing seemed to leap out at me. So I took stock of the situation. When I looked behind me, it all came back. There, on the ground, was Shampoo. I had never seen her look so cold and lifeless, it broke my heart to see it. There was my best friend and she wasn't even moving at all. I was dimly aware of my friends closing in around me as I lifted her into my arms. No one blamed me for my tears. We all wracked our brains for a way to wake her up, but nothing came to mind. I stared down at her face and felt the tears flowing faster. A tear fell on her lips, I thought that maybe I should wipe it off. Before I knew what was happening I was kissing her, feeling almost as if she was warming up in my arms. A small, but strong, hand gripped the back of my head and held me there. I fell the familiar tingle of transformation and heard my friends gasp as I felt my body growing. When I looked down after the kiss, I saw what I had been praying to see. Her eyes staring back at me! She was smiling and looked so happy! My friends were amazed at what just happened. Beast put a damper on the whole thing when he shouted that we needed to run. Just as he did a large group of Heartless attacked. I gave Shampoo her bonborri and ribbon that I had. She got herself properly geared up and everyone attacked. Virginia's guns blazing, Donald's lightning striking, Goofy's shield slamming, Beast's claws shredding, Xiao's sword cutting, Shampoo's bonborri smashing, Ranko's fists flying, and my Keyblades hacking. Whew, that was a long sentence. I suck at writing fight scenes or haven't you guessed? To make a long story short we kicked their behinds to Jupiter and made for the exit. Beast stayed behind to guard the newly awakened Princesses, who wouldn't leave because they had to hold back the darkness. When I tried to summon Bahamut ZERO outside all we got was a wispy image of him apologizing. Because the darkness was so strong, he couldn't manifest. The Heartless were quickly gaining on us, being led by a group of Behemoths. Virginia then said "Leave it to me!" and summoned a strange gold being that she called Zephyr. Zephyr looked like a dragon with two long flowing wings where his back legs should be with gold armor. His chest plate opened and he pulled out what looked like his heart! He struck the ground with his heart, blazing with energy, and destroyed all the lower Heartless. The problem was that the Behemoths seemed largely unaffected. She was still smiling confidently. She looked back to the sky and said "You have your dragon... Now see mine! Lombardia!" she cried out as a massive white and blue ship hurtled into the atmosphere. It was going at a fairly good clip as it suddenly went into what looked like a flip and transformed into a massive beast with razor sharp teeth, massive claws, and a long tail. "Lombardia! Use Draconic Gun Blaster!" and the monster nodded before firing out a massive red blast of energy from her forehead gem, destroying the Behemoths instantly. What could we say? She just unloaded enough power in five minutes then we could in an hour. Still smiling she offered us a ride back to Traverse Town. Since we weren't leaving any other way, we accepted. Before we got back to Traverse Town however, Bahamut returned and seemed pleasantly surprised when he saw Lombardia. The two roared and set off at breakneck pace. Obviously they are friends and compete frequently, we were just unlucky enough to be along for the ride. When we finally got back, Donald thought we should go speak to Merlin about Shampoo's awakening and my transformation back into a boy. I know I haven't seemed enthusiastic about it, but I'm still kind of in shock over it. The wizard was amazed to even see us again. Despite his optimism he thought we would all die gruesomely, not pick up another ally or wake up Shampoo. He had an explanation for the whole thing as well! I had Shampoo's heart. The night she disappeared her body was already gone, but her heart had remained waiting for me. When I tried to catch her, she fell inside me. The cursed locking water only cemented the deal. She was with me the entire time. When we found her without her heart, there was only one way to transfer the heart back to where it belonged, with a kiss. It had to be heartfelt, sincere, and without hesitation. Who knew impulsiveness was that useful? Meanwhile, Shampoo wasn't letting go of me no matter what. I actually felt the same way as she did. Neither of us wanted to let the other out of their sight. My friends actually thought it was funny, all except Ranko. I know I'm going to have to talk to her and I'm not looking forward to it. Oh well, good night journal. Ja ne.

He slumped in the chair in front of his desk and rubbed his eyes. He arranged a meeting between himself and Ranko for noon on the Gizmo Shop roof. He was worried about a lot of things right now. He had to agree with Xiao, reluctantly, when she said they needed to take a break. He hated to think of the Princesses being forced to hold back the darkness, but even they told him to take a break. Thing is, he didn't want to relax! He had to keep fighting! Then again, did he want to be like Ranma? Going from one fight to the next without a break. He had to admit some of that was his fault, but Ranma should share the blame for that one. He flopped on his bed and was surprised that his pajamas and his bed felt different.. It was a weird sensation to feel the cloth on his skin like that. Girls sure were different from boys. On that pleasant note, he fell asleep.

The morning dawned bright and clear...or at least it would if Traverse Town had any atmosphere to speak of. The only thing it seemed able to do was hold oxygen. Good thing to or the people would've been in real trouble. The morning started like any other when they were there, the morning fight with Genma. That guy sure was fast! He seemed almost obsessed with his own training as well as everyone else's. He even seemed to have lost some weight! Wait til his wife sees that! Back to more immediate concerns. Ryoga was getting his daily punish..er..workout and was holding his own until Genma used the Umi-Sen-Ken and vanished without a trace. Ryoga slipped into the mindset instinctively and the fight went up to a whole new level. The conclusion was something that neither one could have predicted. Virginia, dressed in a nightshirt, standing on the balcony of her room. That in itself wouldn't have been such a shocker. What was the shocker was the weapon she was holding. It looked like a bazooka. They had only a second to register the sight before they found themselves hurled into the waterway by the heavy munitions. Blowing on the smoking barrel of the weapon, she marched back inside, humming happily to herself. Genma and Ryoga just looked at each other, panda eyes to girl eyes, and vowed never to spar here again.

Breakfast was almost normal. Genma tried stealing Ryoga's food as well as Ranko's, both expertly defending and trying to steal from him as well. The normal game came to screeching halt when a Chinese broadsword embedded itself in the table between the teens and the Saotome patriarch. They looked at Shampoo and sweatdropped. She was placidly sipping her tea as if nothing had happened. So they tried a different tactic that Shampoo seemed to approve of. They ate quietly and peacefully. Her smile was approval enough. "Is she somehow related to Nodoka?" Genma thought. "Kasumi mixed with Akane?" Ranko shuddered at the idea. "Hmmm... Maybe I should find out how she carries all those weapons." Ryoga thought to himself. If anybody had suggested that Ryoga was thinking like Ranma they would have discovered that the surface of the moon looks different when your face is stuck in it. The two boys seemed to have tactical computers built into their brains that reacted very differently. Ryoga's always was slower than Ranma's, but that seems to have changed since this adventure started. Ryoga came across that thought pinging around inside his skull and had to smile at it. Xiao giggled "What's got you so happy?" eying Shampoo suggestively. The cursed boy immediately blushed and shook his head vigorously in denial while the table erupted in laughter at the shy boy's antics.

Ranko sat on the roof of the Gizmo Shop with her legs dangling over the side. She knew that if she fell the worst that would happen is dust on her shoes. This was going to be hard, but she was determined to at least try. At the sound of footsteps she looked quickly at whoever was coming and sighed at who it was. "What're you doin' up here?" she asked. Shampoo shrugged her shoulders "Why are you up here?" she asked. "I asked first." was the retort and the reply was "We need to talk." The redhead's shoulders slumped. "You're here to meet Ryoga." it wasn't a question. The other girl nodded her head. "I'm not blind. You like him." again the girl nodded, growing more depressed. "There is a saying in my village 'Obstacles are for killing', but Ryoga might be upset with me if I did that." Ranko's eyes grew wide and darted to the Chinese girl in shock. The girl noticed her unwilling companion's look and laughed, a light and merry sound that had the braided girl laughing softly with her. As the fit of laughter passed, Shampoo caught her breath. "Okay, what I'm trying to say is... I don't have a problem sharing. Who knows? You may decide to leave or I might. So we can share him in the meantime." the girl said reasonably. Ranko knew that the chances of that happening were about a zillion to one. She absently kicked the wall with her heel. "It took a lot of guts for you to say that, I can see you really care about him. I don't want to get in your way anymore." the dejected girl was fighting back tears as she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Shampoo peered into her eyes with a smile. "I made my decision so don't make me repeat myself. We'll tell Ryoga about it." she said. The redhead blinked "Shouldn't we ask him?" she asked. The purple-haired girl laughed "Why make his brain hurt? Simple, ne?" she said. Ryoga's voice cut through their conversation. "This is a weird conversation to walk in on." he commented dryly. "Since you seem so dead set on it, and since I don't have a choice, I don't have a problem with it." he was pretty sure he said the right thing, they both heard his reluctance. He found himself buried under a double Amazon glomp. The logical portion of his mind said "This is a bad idea." While hormones said "This should be fun." Finally common sense said "I'm on a ship of fools." Ryoga felt as if the universe suddenly started laughing at him again, but it was a joke he could share. He found himself laughing as the girls looked at him in confusion. "Sorry, I just feel like Kami-sama just made me the butt of the joke again." two sets of eyes glared at him. Startled hazel met angry blue and red. "Are you saying..." Ranko began "... That we're a joke?" Shampoo finished. "Uhm... er... no?" he said in a tiny voice. Suddenly he heard "Ryoga no Baka!" from both girls and felt himself punted into what passes for LEO around Traverse Town. "Another beautiful day in Traverse Town." he remarked as he flew by.

Donald sat happily with his favorite girl, Daisy. They were on a date at Ucchan's and were enjoying each other's company like always. She hasn't had to hit him for a stupid remark and he hasn't had to swear at any idiots. All in all, it was good. She was beautiful with her white hair pulled back in a ponytail and blue dress. Ukyou was so happy for them and kept whispering things to her waitress. A pretty kunoichi named Konatsu. "The food was great as usual Ucchan." The sailor-suited boy said with a smile. Daisy also smiled "I love the food here. Thank you." The young chef waved it all off with a laugh. "I'm happy to be of service." she chirped brightly. Konatsu handed them each a booklet of coupons for the shop. She sighed wistfully "I envy you two." and flashed Ukyou a look when she thought no one was looking. Daisy actually missed it! Donald was shocked, when had she become the unobservant one? As they were walking to Daisy's place in the First District, holding hands and chatting, a large shape loomed over them. Daisy screamed when she saw the man mountain behind them. He looked like hell and seemed about as mean as the aforementioned hot place. "Gimme your money or I'll take yer woman." he growled. Donald's eyes took in everything about the guy in a blink. A tattoo, scars from past battles and recent battles, and a driving evil. The man laughed "I am Han! Loyal servant of Shredder and I believe your little bitch would be quite amusing for him." his hand shot out and grabbed Daisy by the wrist. Time seemed to slow down. Daisy was gathering in her breath to scream. Han was starting to grin sadistically as he planned what to do with her. The moment seemed to expand into infinity before Donald exploded into motion and smashed Han with an Anything Goes attack. "Shish kabob Kick!" and drilled into Han's temple with his steel toed boot. The giant roared in pain and anger. His fist hurtled forward so fast that Donald barely had time to register the blow as he was hurled across the area, landing in a pained heap. Daisy cried out "Donald!" as she ran towards him. His eyes opened slowly to see her above him. He also saw Han approaching. Despite Daisy's pleas he said "Run." but she wouldn't listen. All he could see was Han's grin and he felt himself grow cold all over. A well of power opened up within himself and he struggled to his feet. His shoulders were hunched, a hand on his knee while the other dangled uselessly. "This has been interesting, but it all ends here." he chuckled. Daisy lunged at him and beat her small fists on his chest. "Leave him alone!" she shouted. He didn't even spare a glance before knocking her down with a negligent slap. Donald felt a feral growl well up in his throat before exploding out in a roar "You will **die**!" he shouted as everything suddenly turned blue. His aura exploded outward, his wounds healing almost instantly. The light touched Daisy and restored her as well. All she could do was stare in shock as Donald went into Trance. The Blue Wizard pointed a dangerous looking wand at Han. "Your fight is with me." he said, his voice so cold it practically steamed in the air. Han just grunted, unable to sense auras. If he could, he would have run screaming for the hills at the murderous power emanating from Donald. Daisy was in awe of her proverbial Knight in Shining Armor even if he was a Wizard in Shining Robes. Donald struck an en garde stance with his wand, with a flip a rapier blade shot out from the crescent of his staff. The blade was five feet long and curved slightly. He grasped the long end of the staff with his other hand and drew a long tanto knife from the end. Neither weapon previously existing in the staff until Donald created them. Han drew out a long chain, weighted chain from behind him and hurled it at him. Donald's expression was bored as he dodged to the side and cut through the chain with his tanto before kicking back the weight at his head. Han dodged it with some difficulty before withdrawing a large number of shuriken and hurling them with lightning speed at the young warrior. Donald practically flowed around the razor like projectiles. He was dodging so easily that he was unprepared for the change in pattern. He barely avoided being made a pincushion. Han followed up behind the shuriken, punching the young wizard into the wall. The impact causing cracks to appear in the wall. Daisy cried out in dismay while Han grinned in pleasure. His pleasure was short lived, however, as the Wizard's glowing eyes fell upon him. "That actually hurt." was all he said as he brought his blades back. "Descent into madness! Quezacotl's Furious Slash!" he cried. Han was stunned as he saw the lightning gather around the glowing specter, the blazing energy turning into a huge bird made of lightning as he drew his blades over his head. With a sharp downward stroke, he released the attack into the startled man mountain with a sharp crack of thunder. Han was left scorched and burning on the ground. With a glowing hand, Donald lifted Daisy to her feet. "Perhaps we should go for a flight, eh?" and took off into the sky, cradling her close. Han just burned.

Goofy was in his thinking spot. You couldn't get to it unless you knew triangle jumps until the first summit then a straight leap to the top. He had a lot to think about, he realized. The journey was almost over. He couldn't have told anyone why he felt that way, but it just felt right. One way or another it was ending. The young knight sighed as he looked down at the people from his perch on the very top of the Gizmo Shop. More people were leaving their homes now. Heartless were purged regularly, sure, but the people proved resilient. Leon and his friends seemed to be doing a good job. That wasn't what was bothering him. The main thing that seemed to be on his mind was a certain neko-girl. Xiao was taking up more and more of his thoughts these days. He knew he liked her, but he had no idea how she felt about him. "Maybe she likes me too?" he asked himself for the thousandth time. He was growing more depressed by the day and he knew it was affecting his performance. He looked down again and sighed at the sight. It was Xiao. She seemed to be looking for something with a faintly worried look. "What's goin' on?" he wondered. As he watched he saw a strange portal open up overhead. The golden circle in the air discharged a black shape with silver hair. He was suspended in the sky on a single black wing and wielding a long, silver sword. Goofy was on his feet in an instant, but quickly lost sight of the individual as he teleported. A surprised scream from below drew his attention. "Where is Cloud?" the man demanded harshly. "I don't know and what makes you think I would tell you?" she said back to him. He seemed momentarily taken aback by her lack of compliance. "I am the great Sephiroth, wielder of the Masamune and greatest warrior in all the worlds. Since you refuse to talk, you die." and struck at her without warning. Her sword whipped out just as fast and parried the strike expertly. The goggle-headed boy wasn't sure if he should jump in or stay out of it. The two samurai were unleashing attacks so rapidly that they were a blur of motion. Strike, counterstrike, parry, counter parry, feint, all weaving in a dance of death. If even one person lost their concentration they'd lose much more then that. Goofy saw the wild battle moving towards a cluster of people too scared to move. He sprang into action, jumping down and using a series of wall jumps to slow his descent, he reached the people. He managed to get them out of the way, but not before catching Xiao's eye "Goofy?" she said before getting blasted into the wall. "No! It's my fault she messed up. I distracted her." his thoughts turned blacker. The man was strolling almost casually up to her. His sword pointing at her throat. "Not bad, but I am better." he smirked. Goofy wound up and whipped his shield at the arrogant swordsman. His weapon glowing green, blades of ki extending from the rapidly spinning disc. With a jolt, Sephiroth saw the shield hurtling at him and deflected it hastily. Shock was written plainly on his face. The shield struck a wall before coming back to his hand. "Not bad young man, but not good enough. Sin Harvest!" he cried as a disc of energy appeared over his head and exploded in power, draining his strength and spirit. The maniacal swordsman launched himself at Goofy with full intent to kill, but a blast of ki struck him in the back. His eyes reflected pain as his back arched. He turned his head towards the source and saw the neko-girl standing there. Her sword slashed at the ground, her teeth gritted angrily, her whole visage feral. Her cat-slit eyes were menacing and her aura blazed like an inferno. "I will not let you hurt the one I love." she growled. The weakened knight heard her say this and his head lifted with new energy. "Sh-she loves me?" before vaulting back to his feet. His own aura burning high. Sephiroth let them feel it as his aura was released, growing another jet-black wing. The two young warriors were not impressed. Before he knew what was happening, the two Tranced into their alter forms. The Samurai and the Knight stood side by side against the ronin. "If you think that another wing is gonna scare us, then you've got another thing coming." the Samurai grated out. The Knight was radiating an intense battle aura "You have been judged and found wanting." The resulting battle was one the people would be telling their children and grandchildren about. Sephiroth unleashed a rapid flurry of sword strokes with the Masamune while Xiao used Amaguriken speed with Renzokuken to block and parry his attacks. His distraction would prove costly as Goofy unleashed his nameless blast right into Sephiroth's back. If it wasn't for his teleportation power he would have been a pincushion. He hovered above their heads waiting for them to look up. Almost reluctantly, they looked up in time to see a massive barrage of space rocks hurtle down from the sky. "Divinity Shield!" Goofy cried as he raised his shield over his head, creating a massive dome of energy to repel the attacks. The winged villain unleashed Sin Harvest on the Samurai while she couldn't attack and was rewarded by two cries of dismay. The Meteor spell broke through the barrier and the other fighter was out as well. This couldn't get any better. "Justine Attack!" another voice cried, summoning a giant lion man with an even bigger sword. The Lion roared and launched high in the sky to strike the flying enemy. Sephiroth was shocked when his sword was smashed from his grasp by the powerful sword attack before the Lion punched him into the ground. "I will not let you hurt my friends." Virginia cried out, feeling her desire to protect explode outward in a deep amethyst aura. She used this power to transform like she saw her friends do. She was dressed in a purple cowboy hat with a purple kerchief around her neck. A silver star appeared pinned to her jacket and her guns grew in size. Her guns pointed at Sephiroth as he climbed slowly from the hole. "The Sheriff Star is the sign of Justice. I'm here to drive away the evil with my blazing guns. Desperado Gattling!" she cried as she aimed her guns, pulling the trigger rapidly. Blood blossomed all over Sephiroth's body, but despite the amount of damage he still seemed to be alive. The Gunslinger ran up to where he was still striving to stand. " **I** **WILL** **KILL** **YOU**!" he screamed just before the Gunslinger unleashed a blistering series of lightning fast kicks and blows with the butts of her guns "Finest Arts!" and beat him into the ground. Goofy was cradling Xiao to his chest. One of her hands held the Chijikimori while in the other she clutched the Masamune. "I love you too, Xiao." he whispered. She smiled up at him weakly and kissed him. The Gunslinger smiled at the beautiful picture. She looked at the crater where the dead ronin lay was empty, all that remained was a lone black feather. "As long as he doesn't come back here." she muttered before blacking out.

Everyone was sitting around the dinner table. Ryoga was sitting happily between Shampoo and Ranko. He was happy because the worst thing that happened to him was getting punted into orbit. Everyone else looked like they'd been through a war, then the apocalypse, then finally New Jersey traffic. Even Genma looked a bit frazzled, but that was probably because dinner was held until everyone arrived. As everyone dug in with gusto, he managed to piece together what had happened to everyone that day. He actually choked a few times on some of the things his friends were telling him. His usual luck decided to manifest itself in the form of a spilled glass of iced tea. Ryoga-chan just sighed and kept eating. The two girls on either side of her gave her a big hug. "You're still so cuuuute." Ranko said. "Uh huh." Shampoo agreed. Ryoga sweatdropped.

The day of departure arrived. It was time to finish this properly. "Ranma needs to be brought back to us and the evil needs to be destroyed." Ryoga began. "As much as I hate to do this so late in the game, I need to leave two of you behind." the announcement was met with gasps of shock. "When we go, there may be an attack while we're not here so we need someone reliable to stay. Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie can't handle it by themselves. I'm leaving Shampoo and Ranko here." he finished. The two girls both had tears in their eyes. "But why?" "Shampoo go with you!" he silenced them with a hug. "I don't want to lose either one of you. Please don't make this any harder on me." he pleaded. The girls nodded reluctantly before kissing him on both cheeks. Ryoga and Donald were going with Bahamut while Virginia, Goofy, and Xiao went on Lombardia. "The plan is to come at it from different ends and meet in the middle. We'll strike before they even knows what hit them." a chorus of voices shouted "Right!" before both dragons hurtled into space.

Shampoo sighed forlornly as she watched the two shapes vanish into the stars. Ranko slid her arm around her shoulders. "They'll be okay. Who can beat an Angel, a Knight, a Wizard, a Samurai, and a Gunslinger? Let alone three dragons, a lion man, and Kami knows what else they'll find on their way." the redhead told the worried girl. "Hmm. I know what you say is correct, but I'm still worried. You said that there was a place they went to fight, right? A tournament?" the purple-haired girl asked. Ranko blinked "You're right. What of it?" she asked. "I know where we can find backup for our Ryoga." she grinned mischievously. The braided girl nodded in growing comprehension. "This should be fun... One question. How do we get there?"

End A Special Side

Author's Notes: This will hopefully blend the Hollow Bastion chapter with the End of Worlds chapters seamlessly. I hope you enjoyed the character and plot development. I actually wasn't in a hurry so I hope its up to the standard you're used to. I live to please my readers. Until next time! The power is yours! I mean, may the force protect you! Use the Force Luke! Ugh... Last try... May all your enemies be egg shaped! Not what I was looking for...


	14. A Different Side Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, Kingdom Hearts, or Wild Arms 3. Thank you for observing the disclaimers.

Author's Note: I hope you all are ready for this! This is the explosive conclusion to this monster epic! I know I'm psyched! Are you psyched? That's great! Oh, hi doctor… No, I don't want my medication now…

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Chapter 13: Worlds End

Excerpt from Ryoga's journal…

Here we are. This is the final journey. I can't tell you all I feel, but most of all, I feel anxious. We are five. I never expected to have so many allies and friends when I got here. Donald, Goofy, and Xiao have been there since the beginning. Then we met Ranko who was invaluable in making it here. I definitely can't forget Virginia who is with us right now. Who would have guessed that we would have not one, not two, but three dragons helping us? Bahamut ZERO, Lombardia, and Zephyr. Also countless other friends who helped us on this journey. This was not an adventure for a lone wolf and thank Kami-sama that I'm not afraid to ask for help anymore. The expression "Love conquers all" comes to mind, but I think they should add "Friendship conquers just as much". Oh well, the time for introspection has passed. Yes Xiao, I do know big words! She's so afraid I'm going to turn this "epic" into something no one can read. Thanks a lot for being here as well, journal. Good-bye.

Ryoga sighed as he put the journal back into his backpack. He was still amazed at the fact that barely even a week ago he was a girl. To say that the cursed martial artist was thrilled would be an understatement. Donald smiled over at Ryoga "I bet you're glad to be back to normal." He said. Ryoga laughed "You call traveling through space inside the head of a dragon, wielding a legendary weapon, and rushing off to face the forces of darkness normal?" he retorted. The sailor-suited boy laughed "I guess you're right." Was the reply before they lapsed into comfortable silence. The only sounds were of Bahamut rumbling to himself about "Can't lose this time." As he and Lombardia streaked towards their goal.

Goofy sat with arm comfortably around Xiao's shoulders with her head snuggled into his shoulder. He occasionally played with her ears, causing them to twitch and her to swat him. "Whatcha thinkin'?" she asked. "Just worried about how this will turn out." He replied. "We got Ryoga leading us and hasn't he brought us through worse situations?" she said. The goggle-headed boy smiled down at her and kissed her nose. "I guess your right." before holding her closer. Virginia smiled at the two as she stole a glance towards them. Her thoughts kept traveling to the boy with the magnetic personality who drew them together. Even at his worst, he seemed to radiate something that made you want to follow him. It had to be his charming naiveté, the fact that he just didn't seem to be an egomaniac didn't hurt either. She was strangely reminded of a boy back home that made her feel the same way as Ryoga did about Shampoo. She once again looked at her picture and shed a single tear. They believed that Ryoga could get them all home, then she believed it too. She was a Drifter and her wings weren't clipped yet. "Time to fly." She whispered.

Elsewhere…

Cid looked at the two girls standing in front of him with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. They wanted to go to the Coliseum, but didn't have a ship. "Could you find us a ship, Cid?" Ranko asked with her "cute-as-a-million-puppies" expression. "Yes, we just want to help Ryoga and our friends." Shampoo said with her "cute-as-a-million-buttons" expression. Between the two of them, he didn't stand a chance. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright. I have a ship you can use, but only to the Coliseum. Got it?" he said sternly. The two girls nodded vigorously. He nodded at them before heading out the door. "Let me bring it to the loading dock." Was all he said as he left. The redhead looked to the Amazon girl "Stage one accomplished." She said "Stage two is a go!" the other replied excitedly. They high-fived, hip bumped, and did a chest bump with painful results. "Ouch…never do that again…" Ranko mumbled as Shampoo agreed with tears in her eyes.

The ship he managed to get for them looked somewhat small. It was perfectly round with a giant arm on top with a blaster array. It actually didn't look that bad, but didn't seem powerful. "It's called a Ball. Specially designed for maximum speed and has decent offensive capability. Since it's so small, it shouldn't be seen by the larger ships." Cid said as they inspected the small craft. It only had room for one person. They looked at each other. "Do I sit in your lap or the other way around?" Shampoo said. "You're taller so I'll sit in your lap." Ranko said. Since the seating arrangement was worked out, they climbed into the cockpit. Shampoo ended up working the foot pedals while Ranko held onto the steering controls. The Amazon had to reach around awkwardly to grab hold of the weapon system. The resulting tangle was vaguely ecchi, but no time to worry about that. Cid flipped them a thumbs up before initiating launch. Shampoo was prepared for a forward launch, but screamed in shock when it became a downward spiral into an explosive takeoff. "This is too weird!" was Shampoo's mantra as the tiny ship sped along. A rather large ship blocked their path. It looked exactly how a spaceship should look. It was large, was covered in guns, and had a streamlined appearance. It had on the side "Heartless: Not just a job, it's an adventure." Ranko and Shampoo groaned at the strange sign. Ranko immediately began saying "Kill it kill it kill it…" and Shampoo was more then happy to comply. Her left hand on the trigger and her right hand on the arm control, she opened the clawed mechanical hand and viciously grasped onto the ship. A loud commotion could actually be heard as the Heartless scrambled to the weapon systems, but it was sadly too late. "Fry piggies!" and squeezed the trigger repeatedly. Each blast was point blank and shook the whole ship until it finally disintegrated. The tiny ship happily puttered along towards its destination with two maniacal girls laughing in somewhat twisted glee.

Neither one of them had seen the Coliseum before, but it was hard to miss. Strangely enough, their landing was smooth as silk. The short walk to the gates was uneventful as well. Shampoo strode along warily with her bonborri out. Ranko also held her Pink Sugar Rod. As they entered the lobby, they saw a satyr setting up signs for the next match. "Excuse me." Ranko said to the short creature. He turned to look at them "Yeah?" he asked. Shampoo thought he was a rude creature. "Do you remember a Ryoga Hibiki?" the braided girl asked. The satyr's eyes about popped out "Of course! Great kid, real nice girl" he said. "If you're friends with her, my name's Phil." He said with a smile. His attitude underwent a complete one-eighty. "How's my pal been doin'?" he asked. So Ranko launched into the story. Roughly an hour or so later, she finished the tale. He sat, pondering quietly, before saying "Well, I know one guy who'd be glad to help. He's participating in the competition right now. Uhm.. He's also looking for someone." Phil said. The girls looked at each other. Shampoo asked "Who?" the satyr sighed "A person he loves a great deal. Her name's Aerith." He said. He didn't fail to notice the girls' jaws dropping in unison and said "You know her?" The two nodded mutely. "Great! Enter the competition and fight him! He's advancing through the ranks pretty quickly and two of the challengers for this seed cut out. They were supposed to double team him, but I can put you in their place." He said. With a whoop of joy the two nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, get ready." Was all he said in warning.

Pegasus Cup

Last Seed

The girls stood there nervously. Shampoo was ready to go and Ranko stood much like Tuxedo Kamen except in place of the rose was her Rod. The challenger entered the arena amidst applause and cries of encouragement. Ranko tensed up almost imperceptibly, but Shampoo caught it. The blonde-haired man strode in smoothly, exuding quiet power. The redhead muttered darkly "Cloud" and Shampoo blanched at that. He looked at them with a small smile "Is this the best they have to offer?" he said. That infuriated the two young warriors as they struck battle poses. "We may be small…" Shampoo began "But we pack a punch!" Ranko finished. Phil cried out "Attack!" and the battle began in earnest. Cloud whipped out his humongous sword and slashed at them, clearly intent on ending the fight early. It was child's play to leap over the weapon. The Amazon girl hurled shuriken at him, but he easily deflected them. Ranko fired off a Mouko Takabisha through her Rod and found that deflected as well. They decided to bring the fight to him since long range didn't work. He was harried on all sides as the smaller girls took advantage of their size and speed to strike at him from all over. With an angry shout he unleashed Sonic Rush, hurling the two combatants violently away from him. Once that ran its course, he spread his wing "Farewell!" and launched into the sky, surrounded in dark energy. "This is it…we have to beat him…" Ranko muttered as she fought to stand. "Ryoga needs help…" Shampoo said as she rose to her feet painfully. Shampoo and Ranko began glowing. A lavender aura surrounded Shampoo and a pink one surrounded Ranko. With a furious cry of "Trance!" they upped the ante on the battle. Ranko was in Senshi form and it seemed that Shampoo looked vaguely like a purple Power Ranger. The two girls didn't have time for a sweatdrop or a facefault as Cloud decided it was time to come back down. Ranko unleashed the Moon Scepter Elimination and Shampoo fired off a blast from a massive gun that appeared out of nowhere. Cloud flew right into the combined attack with a muttered "Oh crap." Before being blown into unconsciousness.

"That looked really painful." Shampoo winced as she helped Phil and Ranko set Cloud's injuries. The spikey-haired man winced at each new bandage. "I'll be fine by morning." He said quietly. "Hey, good news pal! These girls know where your Aerith is!" Phil said. The young man stared at the two intently "Where is she?" he asked. "She's in Traverse Town. We uh… came looking for you to ask you for a favor." Shampoo said. "For telling me where Aerith is, anything." Was Cloud's reply. "Well, we need to go help Ryoga." The redhead said and explained the situation to the young mercenary.

Back at the ranch…

"Final destination, dead ahead!" Bahamut roared, breaking them from their reverie. "I wish he wouldn't say 'dead'." Donald complained. The world they were heading to looked like it was literally falling apart or being put together. It took them a moment to realize that it was both. Bahamut roared towards the entrance and hurled Donald and Ryoga from the cockpit. They both used the Glide technique to reach the ground safely. After a quick search of the area, they concluded they had wound up in a world of water. The two young warriors found that they were on the only island. "This is no good. Water everywhere and if we attacked while swimming, we're sunk." Ryoga stated. Donald, however, was peering at the water. He rested his hand on the surface and found it wouldn't go in. It was wet, sure, but it could be walked on. "We don't need to worry about swimming. Come on." Donald said and led the way. Ryoga hurried to keep up. They walked in awed silence towards the giant portal they could see. It was swirling with purple energy and seemed to be simultaneously sucking in and spitting out pieces of land. "Kinda reminds me of a baby with solid food…" Ryoga muttered. The sailor-suited boy's eyebrow raised at the apt description. Suddenly a sphere of energy caught their attention and engulfed them. They shut their eyes against the blinding light and heard a roar. "That's not good." The cursed martial artist said to no one in particular. Donald just nodded his head. The roar came from the massive form of the Behemoth. "The horn is the weakest point! Get it Ryoga!" Donald shouted as Ryoga sprang into action. With a mighty leap, he vaulted onto the beast's back with both Keyblades out and ready. The sailor-suited boy alternated between hurling bolts of lightning and unleashing blasts of pure energy at the Behemoth's horn. The monster roared in pain and unleashed a storm of lightning bolts over the whole area. Ryoga grunted in pain as the blast struck him. Whirling into action, he struck at the monster's horn with enough force to shred steel. He was once again amazed at how much raw power his male body had. The creature was screaming in obvious agony just seconds before his horn was ripped out of its head by massive over the shoulder slashes of his Keyblades in a cross pattern. Blood erupted from the stump, its frantic squeals of pain and rage filled the air before Donald brought down a condensed bolt of lightning from the sky and blasted through the Behemoth's body. As they watched the monster vanish, Ryoga stared down at his hands with awe. Donald was even impressed at what he saw. "That was amazing…" Ryoga whispered, but a portion of his mind asked him if power was that important.

Lombardia burst into the massive cavern on the other end of the world with little effort. Virginia shouted, "Everybody out and let's move!" as Heartless began arriving to investigate the disturbance. They leapt from Lombardia and used the Glide technique to float to the far side of the cavern. The dragon roared before unleashing Draconic Missiles into the ranks of advancing monsters before retreating. "Everyone okay?" Xiao whispered and the others nodded in response. They took off stealthily through the darkened cave. Virginia was in the lead, watching the area ahead for signs of danger. Goofy was next, holding his shield to guard against side attacks. Xiao was actually a little awestruck over the scenery. Crystals hung down from the ceiling, glowing in beautiful reds, blues, and greens. Her eyes were so filled with wonder she didn't notice when Virginia stopped to investigate a big hole. She was leaning over it with Goofy next to her. "Hey Xiao. Take a look at… Wait! Stop! Ahhh!" she exclaimed as Xiao ran into her. Goofy tried to stop her from falling and found himself overbalanced. Xiao grabbed hold of him, but had no hope of holding them. The three startled companions fell down into the hole. As they fell, pixie dust exploded around them and kept them aloft. Xiao and Goofy were a little startled at Virginia flying until they saw Tinker Bell hovering near them. "Okay, this is definitely new." She said before squeaking in alarm at her suddenly floating skirt and shoved it down. Goofy's danger sense suddenly kicked in at the same moment that Xiao's did and they looked straight across at a strange mountain. The mountain seemed to be breathing. "What's goin' on?" the drifter exclaimed, drawing her guns. Xiao drew the Chijikimori in her right hand and the Masamune with her left. Goofy readied his shield as the "mountain" exploded in a roar and resolved itself into a massive demon of unimaginable power. Xiao's eyes slitted "That's Chernabog!" the others looked at her "What?" Goofy exclaimed. "The Lord of Bald Mountain." She said "A demon I came across in my travels to find Ryoga. His power is phenomenal and he's nearly invincible." She said as she clenched her blades tighter. Virginia scoffed "I've heard the term 'invincible' thrown around a lot, but that never stopped me." The gunfighter girl said with conviction. Goofy just grinned wickedly "As long as we all agree… Let's get this punk!" he shouted as they flew at Chernabog. Tinker Bell cast a strange glowing spell around them to keep their strength up. Virginia shouted out "Hyper!" The spell erupted into blazing light and wreathed them in white light as well as Tinker Bell's gold, they felt even stronger. "Attachment!" the girl also cried out, their weapons glowing bright white. "I attached the Light attribute to our weapons!" she said to her companions startled faces and fired her guns to show what she did. Her bullets blew holes through the demons wings. The beast roared and hurled them away with a sudden gust of wind. Xiao used her enhanced weapons to shear off his left wing while Goofy did his right one. With a scream of rage and a powerful slash, he slammed them all away. Tink's spell was helping with some of the damage, but not all of it. They hammered on him for a while longer, but each time he would throw them away as if they were nothing. "Fine.. You wanna play like that…" Virginia panted "Then this is what you get! Zephyr!" and summoned down her dragon! The eruption of pure light energy momentarily blinded them, but they were in for a surprise when the dust settled. Zephyr was struggling against Chernabog, but couldn't strike him with his attack. "He needs help! Let's get 'em!" Goofy cried and pointed his shield at the monster, gathering energy. Xiao was readying her First Class Demon God Assault Blade and Virginia was setting up for Finest Arts. Without warning, the three struck. Virginia rushed in ahead of the attack with blinding speed, striking Chernabog repeatedly before a powerful blast of energy to his head. She barely dodged in time to avoid Xiao's revised attack Breaker Cross Ray and Goofy's Nameless Blast. The demon reeled from the unexpected attacks just before Zephyr obliterated him with his Hope Blast. The three friends floated there in the air, trying to catch their breath. "Hopefully our friends had an easier time then we did." Goofy said. The others nodded in agreement.

A dark shadow infiltrated the massive citadel where Ranma currently resided. The shadow knew that Ryoga and the others were almost there so it figured on making a commotion. Chaos is much more fun than order because while the chaos reigns the others can get through. Cloud lowered his hood and struck a pose before a group of enhanced Guardians. The silver armored menaces took notice of him and rushed to destroy him. The SOLDIER let a grin cross his face just before he sent them to oblivion with a serious of lightning quick strikes placed in sensitive spots such as the neck, chest, and groin. He was certain they wouldn't get back up to trouble him, especially after the fireball he unleashed disintegrated them. More Guardians and a few Wizards heard the racket and came to investigate only to find themselves meeting the same fate as their fellows. He felt naked without his sword, but there wasn't enough room to draw it. The next turn brought him into a massive chamber with doors on both ends. He knew as soon as he walked into the room that it was a trap. At least the ceiling was high enough for him to quickly whip out his sword. Both doors slammed shut behind and in front of him. "Well, hello there traveler. I have been waiting for one such as you." A voice called out from above, but when Cloud looked there was no one there. "What do you want?" he shouted. "I need a test subject of course. New Heartless need a trial by fire before they are released. Angels! Invisibles! Attack!" the voice bellowed. The spikey-haired young man found himself dodging rapidly as balls of pure white energy struck the ground repeatedly, just barely missing him. He thought he was successful until his danger sense kicked in and he sidestepped just in time to avoid the sweep of a sword. The room was full of the monsters. In the air were glowing white Heartless with six angelic wings. The ones that hovered lower then them were pure black with a hole through their bodies in the shape of a heart. Cloud just smiled nastily at them. "Bring it on." He said before rushing forward at Sonic Rush speed, cleaving through Invisibles as he raced past before lunging skyward and soaring through the Angels. The Heartless falling to pieces as he flew by. The voice from above shouted down "Get your acts together! He's making you look like fools!" at which Cloud laughed maniacally as he proved that even though the label says "New and Improved" it's still the same old product in a new container. The sheer numbers of them hurtling into the room, however, did pose a problem. Cloud was growing desperate as he felt his body slowly tiring. "I'm through with this!" he roared "Meteorain!" as he twirled his sword in the air before unleashing dozens of energy bolts upon the hapless minions, destroying them. He was not happy when it turned out he needed to kick it up a notch as more flew in. They had no problem hitting him anymore. They struck from all sides and angles. The voice was crowing, "Now you see their power!" which was getting on Cloud's nerves. The young mercenary finally lost it. Black energy began gathering into his body, his sword was trembling with dark might. "I pity you fools. Dark Redemption!" he bellowed out in a mighty voice, hurtling through the air so fast it seemed almost like he was teleporting. Each time he reappeared, he would cut down another Heartless or hurl a blast of grayish black energy. The room was feeling the strain of repeatedly trying to contain the energy released. When Cloud finally stopped in the exact center of the room, discarded pieces of Heartless littered the room. Scorch marks and slash marks adorned the walls. The warrior grinned up at the ceiling before lazily floating out through a crack that had appeared in the wall. Once outside, he called out "That wasn't much fun! Maybe this will be more interesting!" just before holding a ruby materia over his head. "Knights of the Round!" summoned the most extreme of all summoned monsters. The Thirteen Knights flew at the citadel like guided missiles before striking heavily and repeatedly. Meteors, ice shards, fireballs, spinning staffs, axe strikes, and a grand sword slash later, there was nothing left except a smoking ruin. A boy floated above the ruined building with a scowl. "This is not the place to fight. Follow me if you're not scared." He taunted Cloud. The spikey-haired young man shrugged "Nah. Don't feel like it. I think you can amuse yourself while they come for you. Ja ne!" he said before swooping off. Ranma just stared after him in shock before floating off as well, in the opposite direction.

The divided companions finally met up again in a pale peach room with water dripping down the walls. A massive door dominated the room, but the feature Ryoga liked most of all was the energy restoring green circle. As everyone was getting themselves up to speed, Ryoga found his eyes drawn to the door. A voice spoke into his mind "This is the final haven before the Darkness. Use this time to reevaluate why you are here. Only when your purpose is truly known should you step through the door." It was immediately apparent to the cursed martial artist that no one else heard it. After a while, he cleared his throat. "Hey guys." He began as he got their attention. "This is the last place we can rest before the final battle. This will most likely take everything we have and then some. We didn't make it here with strength alone, but with spirit and heart. Who would have guessed we would all be here right now? Ready to fight the final enemy and rescue everyone who matters to us? I'll admit, I was worried about it, but I never gave up. I have to thank you. You're my friends and I needed you all." The young man finished, a lone tear trailing down his cheek. His friends surrounded him and gave him a big hug, they felt the same way. He saw Virginia standing off by herself and waved her over with a smile. As group hugs go, this was the biggest. A voice from the open doorway said "Great speech, but no hugs okay?" Cloud said as he walked in. "Cool! What are you doin' here?" Ryoga asked the mercenary. "You're girlfriends got worried about you and sought me out." He replied with amusement. Ryoga blushed down to his toes when he said "girlfriends". "You're 'pal' is in there. Let's finish this." Cloud said as he strode towards the door. Everyone hurrying to keep up. They all knew that this was the beginning of the end.

The space beyond the door was chillingly familiar. "Is this my island?" Ryoga asked numbly. They strode along the beach searching for any sign of their enemy. Down on the beach, near the water, he stood. His back straight and haughtily proud. He turned slowly to look at them as they approached. "I offered the child power many years ago. He refused me and I was amazed at his strength of will. Ranma became my personal project for many years as I cultivated the attitudes that would grant me a new body and new life. I really should thank you Ryoga. If you hadn't defeated him on that day, I never would have regained my former power. Thank you, sap." He said, eyes glowing ominously as he expanded in height. His hair turned spikey and lowered to his waist, when the transformation was complete he stood there proudly in baggy silk pants and no shirt, powerfully muscled. His grin was feral "I am Happosai." Ryoga gasped. "The old pervert who tried to summon a demon to steal all the girls' clothing at school?" he said in disbelief. Xiao blinked "Old? He doesn't look old." She said, but Ryoga continued "He was old. A couple hundred years old." Happosai was growing impatient with the fanged youth. "The spell backfired and he was killed in a rain of studded undergarments from the local chapter of 'Biker Grandmas Anonymous'." He finished just before Happosai raged "Shut the hell up you damn cretin! Now **DIE**!" he roared before exploding forward in a burst of speed, hurtling them all away with powerful strikes. What surprised the old pervert was that everyone just rolled back to their feet! "Okay, what's going on here?" he demanded. "Well, I dunno about Cloud, but we've been trained by Genma and Ranko Saotome. I don't think you'll find us so easy to beat." The fanged youth said. The man smiled evilly "Not bad, but I am the Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School! You'll never defeat me!" he broke into maniacal laughter and dared them to strike. "I won't even dodge." He said. A few seconds and a host of new wounds later he amended that statement to "Eat this and **DIE**!" before unleashing blasts of pure ki that leveled the surrounding landscape. Ryoga was deliberately lunging in close before jumping back, drawing the angry man's firepower while Goofy kept the heat off Donald and Virginia. The gunfighter girl was squeezing off shots rapidly, slicing into Happosai's exposed flesh and spraying blood onto the sand. Xiao was practically a black and red blur as she streaked about, slapping him on the flanks with the flats of her blades. Cloud unleashed Meteorain upon the Grandmaster's head, but growled when it was casually swatted away. Donald finally unleashed a combination of all elemental magic as he screamed out "Ultima!" and destroyed the area where Happosai had been standing. Past tense meaning the rejuvenated old man leaped over the incoming attack. He sweatdropped at the thought of nearly getting hit by that before all thoughts were driven from his mind by a Ryoga hurtling at him at Amaguriken speed and striking him in the head with the Keyblades. The enraged master unleashed a massive wave of ki from his body and flattened everyone. His eyes were red with hate and the malevolent power rolled off his body. "Why don't we conclude this elsewhere?" he whispered angrily. "Just so that you comply… I have your friends." and gestured towards where the island had cracked open like an egg, revealing Shampoo and Ranko. They were unconscious and obviously beaten. Ryoga saw red when he saw the state his friends were in. His hands tightened on the hilts of his weapons. Everyone stared in horror as a huge bull demon head came up and swallowed them! "Come along children! I don't have all day!" he shouted before vanishing. "Follow the old freak." The fanged boy grated.

They jumped into the area where the girls vanished and found themselves falling down what felt the Wonderland rabbit hole, but nowhere near as friendly. The companions had only thought on their minds and that was to rescue Ranko and Shampoo. The old pervert was heard laughing up a storm as the emerged into a dense, black fog before passing into more darkness. Happosai could be seen gloating over a pair of ornate double doors that seemed to reek of malevolent energy. "So glad you could make it." He said. "Since I have no use for them, they're too young for my taste, you can have them back!" and whipped the two girls back to their friends. Ryoga actually wanted to laugh at Happy boy's ignorance. Donald made short work of healing them. They woke up slowly, being held by Ryoga "I'm sorry. You told us to stay in Traverse Town." Shampoo said. "We just wanted to help." Ranko said softly. Their friends surrounded them, offering warmth and support. Ryoga whispered "I'm just glad you're ok." and their auras all flared up to amazing new heights! They reeked of power that Happosai never dreamed of before. With a shriek of rage he drew in all the dark power from around him, swelling himself to impossible heights. He grew to twenty times his original size, creating a massive sword from thin air. "I will not allow this to happen! I will not lose this body!" he shouted. Their burning auras flared even greater as they arrayed themselves in the air. "There's seven of us and one of you. The sayin' "Quality over quantity" don't apply, we're all quality!" Ryoga shouted. Happosai just grinned "Let's do this then, one on one. I'll amuse your friends in another fashion! Come my great ship and destroy them!" so saying, he summoned a giant ship with bull demon at the rear with a massive demonic skull in the front. Ryoga found himself slammed backward by a power tackle from Happosai. The ship's demonic head sucked in Xiao, Virginia, and Goofy while the main body assaulted Donald, Ranko, Shampoo, and Cloud "Don't destroy the outer body until our friends escape!" Donald shouted. The other warriors nodded before commencing the "attack".

Inside of the Ship

As they came to slowly, the darkness felt oppressive. Xiao was trying to wake up Goofy while Virginia scouted around the area. "It feels like a room of some kind, but I dunno what's here. All I can see is the glowing floor." The gunslinger said as she paced. The young knight stirred with a groan and sat up. "You're awake." Xiao said softly and hugged him. He smiled slightly before his eyes quickly shot to the side of the room. "There. It's watching us." He said urgently just before a massive shape hurtled out into the room and sent them flying. Virginia retaliated with a storm of bullets, but all she heard was the ricochet as they missed. Goofy tried to shield slam, but found he was charging the wall. Xiao was the only one with sight enough to see the creature. It was creeping around, trying to be sneaky, but apparently missed the most important thing. A neko-girl with two swords is not something you turn your back on. **snikt!**

Outside the Ship

The companions were having a hard time. Even though they knew they shouldn't destroy the outer shell until their friends return, just staying alive is proving to be a problem. The ship seemed equipped with energy missiles, vacuum waves, and bolts of pure electricity that it employed with brutal efficiency. Just as they were hurled back for the umpteenth time, the demon skull exploded releasing their friends! "Now we can destroy it!" Ranko cried as she powered up for a Mouko Takabisha Perfect, Shampoo was drawing in for a variation attack she called Exploding Sphere, Donald drew in for another Ultima, Cloud pulled in power for Meteorain, Goofy for his Nameless Blast, Xiao for her Breaker Cross Ray, and Virginia used Gattling. The rain of attacks hammered through the practically unstoppable beast. "The only reason you were so hard was because we didn't wanna hurt our friends. Let's help Ryoga!"

Battle with Happosai

This was certainly not Ryoga's day as Happy scored another direct hit on him. No matter what he tried, he couldn't seem to regain the initiative. "I own you." Was all the Grandmaster said as he pressed the attack. "No! I can't lose like this! So much depends on me. I want to save my friends and restore everyone's worlds!" with a primal scream, he cried "Nothing will stop me!" he cried to the heavens and unleashed Trance. Unlike the usual Trance, he was in his old black armor with Oblivion and Shadow Keyblade. He felt a presence behind his still male body and saw a pink haired girl in white armor similar to his. Her Keyblades said Heart and Soul. "What?" he asked intelligently. The girl smiled "You are me and I am you. No matter what, we are together. You're friends are coming as well. Let's show this evil bastard what we can do!" she cried confidently. Ryoga looked around and saw all his friends arriving, all in Trance form, even Shampoo! Cloud just seemed to be even more badass then before. Happosai growled "What do you think you can do?" he snarled. "Whatever we can." Came Ryoga's reply as they all joined the battle. "To quote someone famous 'Size doesn't always matter'!" Xiao cried and everyone sweatdropped.

The battle with the grandmaster took what seemed like forever to the battle weary crew, but the victory was worth it. As they surveyed the area, Ryoga's eyes fastened onto the doors and flew over to them. His girl half, Choko, following along with him. Upon reaching the door a voice called out "This is the final door! Once you open this, all the worlds will be restored! It's time to embrace your destiny and thank you." The voice quieted down. "Donald, Goofy, it will be time to go. You must say goodbye." The voice once again spoke. Donald and Goofy looked depressed. With a low cry, Xiao flung herself into Goofy's arms. "No! I wanna stay with you! I won't ever let you go!" she sniffled "I'm sorry Ryoga, I wanna be with Goofy." She said, eyes downcast. "That's alright. As long as you're happy." He said with a smile. The farewells were tearful and final. They set their hands on the doors and pulled, their last thoughts on the friends they made and the love they all shared.

End Chapter 13

Author's Notes: No, I am not ending it on that note! I will write one more chapter entitled "Epilogue". Creative, huh? I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did! Ja ne!


	15. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½, Kingdom Hearts, or Wild Arms 3. The writer has no money so suing serves no purpose.

Author's Notes: This is the end my friends. I am so sad to say goodbye to this story, which you all have seemed to love. What kind of writer would I have been if I left in on that cliffhanger? Time for the resolution to this tale and always remember to tip your waitress. (winces) That had to hurt.

A Different Side,

A Different Story

Epilogue: The Closing of a Tale

Excerpt from Ryoga's Journal…

So, I guess it wasn't really goodbye, was it journal? I actually believed at the time we wouldn't survive and it saddened me. I'm glad that we all survived and emerged victorious. This was a wild adventure full of action, adventure, and humor with moments of such intense fear they will be seared into my brain forever. No one should have had to see what we did and no one will have to again. I don't remember anything of what happened after the door to Kingdom Hearts opened except that I lost my new friends. There were tears, but we realized that as long as our hearts remembered that, then we were never apart. We woke up on the Tokyo Islands in an ungraceful heap. Shampoo and Ranko thought my reaction was hilarious as I tried to get out from under them. A cocky, but cheerful voice said "Looks like you have a problem there." and we all stared in shock at Ranma. The Ranma we all knew was returned and looked no worse for the wear. We scrambled to our feet as he laughed good-naturedly just before with a happy squeal, Ranko flung herself at him with a cry of "Oni-chan!" that knocked him down. The laughter turned on him as he hesitantly hugged his new sister, whispering apologies to her. I was actually feeling a teary myself until I heard a familiar cry of "Hibiki prepare to die!" and had to dodge that blind idiot's misdirected attacks. Ranma lost his temper as one shuriken narrowly missed Ranko's head. With a cry of "Mouko Takabisha!" sent Mousse into LEO. Well, I have Ranko and Shampoo tugging on me to hurry up. I'll talk to later, journal. Ja ne!

Ryoga stowed his journal in his bag and let them drag him to his feet. "C'mon Ryoga!" Ranko urged. "We must find the violent-girl." Shampoo said reluctantly. The fanged boy grinned at the two "Can't keep Akane waiting, ne?" he said as the three took off towards the back beach. Ranma said he heard something from back there and had arranged a search party. Ryoga, Shampoo, Ranko, Mousse, Ukyou, and, of course, Ranma. The pig-tailed boy waved as they approached "Okay, the sound came from somewhere around here. Ryoga, you take the north end of the beach." He said to the cursed boy as his gaze wandered to everyone else, giving them their orders. Everyone scattered to their places.

Several hours later and Ryoga was growing impatient. His voice was growing hoarse from his constant calls of "Akane!" but with no result. Finally, in irritation, he screamed "You violent, uncute, macho tomboy! Dumb as a brick and twice as thick! Where the **hell** are you?" The sound rolled across the water just before the cry of "Ryoga you jerk!" and a near miss by the lovely Mallet-sama. Akane just blinked as her target seemed to blur and reappear. "I knew that would draw you out." He said with a smirk. "Why didn't you answer when we called?" the boy asked. The ever-violent girl growled "I didn't hear anything except your stupid mouth!" Further conversation was cut off when the rest of the gang ran up to see what caused the commotion. "Akane!" Ranma said with relief. The tomboy looked at Ranma in surprise, he looked so worried! "You're ok!" he cried out in relief and hugged her tight. She stiffened for a second before returning the hug just as tightly. The others decided to leave the two of them alone.

Days seemed to pass slowly on the island. The children were able to have fun once again in a land without fear. Ryoga had discovered that he still had his Keyblades and still practiced his improvised two-sword skill daily. Since there was nothing Ranma hated more then not knowing a technique, he asked Ryoga to teach him. They were currently engaged in a lightning fast spar, using wooden swords instead of real ones of course. Shampoo and Ranko sat on the sidelines watching while Akane frowned in concentration over a battery-powered hotplate. It turned into a daily thing to watch the two spar, Nabiki would take bets and Kasumi would bring refreshments. Ukyou would sell food, even grilled hotdogs beside her beloved okonomiyaki. Mousse was desperately pledging his undying love to a tree while Kuno tried to court his loves Ranko and Akane, with disastrous results.

Ranma was growing desperate. His rival was not only good, but he was better then Ranma was! At least the two were sparring on a higher level then they used to. Ryoga would try his best, but anger would get the best of him and he'd screw up. Now Ranma was losing his cool, the Soul of Ice technique just wasn't cutting it anymore. His pops was once again better then him, even his sister was better! With shock, he realized he just lost again. His thoughts had run away with him again and he got distracted. "That was really good, Ranma!" Ryoga said and held out his hand. Ranma rubbed the back of his neck nervously before shaking hands. When had the fanged boy become so, well, nice? "Man, you're unreal." Ranma said, shaking his head. Akane came over with something that fizzled and popped unpleasantly. "Here! I made you something to cheer you up!" she said with a rather cure smile. It no longer stirred the cursed martial artist like it used to. He had enough girl troubles without adding more he thought as he looked to Ranko and Shampoo. The pig-tailed boy looked at the menacing concoction, but decided not to make her mad and took a bite. Despite the liquid appearance, it crunched in his mouth. After a few chews he blinked. "By Kami-sama… This is edible!" he exclaimed. Akane flushed in a balance between pleasure and anger before pleasure won out. Ryoga found himself on the end of a double glomp that flung them into the water. The girls looked sheepishly at the neo-girl. Their friend just smiled and said "Ya wanna kiss me, now?" and swam after the girls as they shrieked and giggled madly.

It was another beautiful day on the Nerima islands, except for the rain. The neo-girl trudged along, hiking up her backpack. She was on her way to visit Shampoo who lived on the other end of the island with her grandmother. Since her directional curse seemed to be inactive, she was taking advantage of it. The day had started out pretty good, really. She got to sleep in and found both her parents were there when she woke up! Well, she was a boy at the time, until mom spilled some cold orange juice on her son. The explanations lasted for a few hours as Ryoga had to recount her journey as well. It wound up being late afternoon before she set out. "With some of the places my parents have been, they could believe an impossible sounding story or two." She smiled in amusement. The wandering neo-girl found herself distracted by denser foliage and a dinosaur grazing nearby. "Oh no. No no no… It's back!" she panicked "Where the hell am I **NOW**?" she shouted to the unfeeling sky.

The End…?

Author's Note: Bwahahahahaha I am evil, ne? Yes, I am not quite finished with poor Ryoga. Stay tuned for the next exciting story! I wasn't planning a sequel, but I found I had too many ideas that wouldn't fit in with this story. I will see you all again soon! Ja ne!


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